*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
The World Cup has absolutely flown by and we’re already down to the last four at Qatar 2022… but who are the favourites to win the whole thing?
Despite the tournament throwing up a number of shock results in the group stage, most of the big boys on the international stage were left in the hunt for the biggest prize on the planet.
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England fans are still dreaming of ending 56 years of hurt but reigning champions France lie in wait in the quarter-finals.
The latest World Cup winner odds can be found on the Paddy Power website, Paddy Power or via our snazzy betting widgets below.
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FRANCE are favourites in the betting after dismissing England last Saturday. Should they win it they’ll become just the third team in World Cup history to retain the title. They’ll face a stern test on Wednesday, December 14 against Morocco, who have gathered quite the collection of scalps already having dismissed both Canada and Belgium in their group stage games before eliminating both Spain and Portugal in the last 16 and quarter-finals.
Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe have been outstanding for Les Blues though, scoring nine goals between them with Antoine Griezmann looking very much at-ease in his role as playmaker. France are very much fancied by the betting public and their goal-scoring talents may be the difference over the tournament.
Lionel Messi is on a one-man mission to lead ARGENTINA to their first World Cup title since Diego Maradona weaved his magic at the 1986 World Cup. The shock defeat to Saudi Arabia sparked the Albiceleste into life, beating both Mexico and Poland by a scoreline of 2-0 in their last two Group Games.
They then met Australia in the last 16 with Messi opening the scoring before Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez put the game beyond any doubt in the 57th minute. Their quarter-final was a bruising and dirty affair against Louis Van Gaal’s Netherlands where a total 16 players were booked. The Argentinians were 2-0 ahead going into the last 10 minutes before Wout Weghorst scored two to force extra time and penalties where Messi &xCo netted four to the Netherland’s three. Unlike at Russia 2018 where the team looked to Messi to do all the work, now they function as a team and may well take the title on Sunday, December 18.
CROATIA are also unbeaten, although the 2018 runners-up have been a tough watch at times with a couple of goalless draws on their results sheet. They are a side with great resilience, though, and while they’re not playing the attractive football of, say France, they’re getting the job done by keeping the opposition limited to just a few chances and being clinical when they get into the final third in search of goals.
This was, of course, greatly illustrated when they frustrated Brazil in their quarter-final with some stalwart defending with goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic playing a starring role, making 10 saves from Brazil’s 11 shots on target and they scored with their only shot on target deep into injury time to require penalties again. Croatia scored all of theirs, Brazil, just two and so they’ll face an Argentina side they’ll be confident of also keeping quiet.
MOROCCO are the last of the unbeaten teams and prop up Paddy Power’s World Cup winner betting market, despite shocking Spain on penalties in the last 16. Bono was the hero in that game with three saves in the shootout and he was gifted another Beautiful Day against Portugal in the quarter-finals where he saw his side advance thanks to a 1-0 win. He was again heroic in goal, denying Portugal on a few occasions.
It’s really the defensive players in front of him who were key on Saturday last and now the Moroccans can say they’ve defeated the Iberian nations of Spain and Portugal – and now a date is set to take on the French. History buffs will know what happened the last time Moroccans beat the Iberians before taking on the French. That aside, they’ve caught most nations off guard and are brimming with confidence. They’ve caused plenty of upsets already at the World Cup and it could be them facing either Argentina or Croatia in the final on Sunday.
World Cup Semi-Final Tips
- Check out Thommo’s Argentina v Croatia Bet Builder that clocks in at 13/1
- France v Morocco Bet Builder tips as Thommo backs Les Bleus