Our best outright bets in the specials markets for this summer's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
There are a huge range of markets on this year’s World Cup, with special bets on a wide range of eventualities.
Here we pick out three of the best specials for this year’s showpiece event in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
World Cup 2026 Specials Tips
Top Asian Team: Japan @ 1/1
Lowest Scoring Team: Qatar @ 10/1
Top Scotland Scorer: Lawrence Shankland @ 8/1
Samurai Blue hard to look past
Top Asian Team: Japan @ 1/1
One of the wide range of markets that now exist for those to bet on the World Cup is the top team from each region. Japan heads the market to be the top Asian team and it is hard to find any fault in their credentials.
The Samurai Blue won 13 of their 16 qualifying games, scoring 54 goals and conceding three, and they have followed that with some incredibly impressive friendly results.
Hajime Moriyasu’s men have won six games on the spin, beating Brazil, England and Scotland in that run and they are no strangers to a big performance at the World Cup.
Japan topped a section with Spain and Germany in the last World Cup before narrowly losing on penalties to Croatia in the round of 16.
They, along with South Korea, were the only Asian teams to reach the knockout stages of the last World Cup and they are a much better team than the Taegeuk Warriors at this point in time.
Japan have won the three meetings in the last five years between them and South Korea, by an aggregate score of 7-0, and they have little to fear from Australia or Iran, their main market rivals for top Asian team.
Australia’s squad is badly lacking in quality while Iran have lost to Uzbekistan, Qatar and Nigeria in the last 12 months. New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan or Uzbekistan, the remaining runners in this market, look unlikely to make any impact at the World Cup, and it should be between those at the head of the betting.
One of the only potential barriers to Japan’s progress is a tough group alongside the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia but their recent results have shown that they have nothing to fear from the world’s elite.
Likewise the expansion of the tournament means that the majority of third-placed teams will progress so Japan look very likely to reach the knockout stages.
From there, they have shown that they can beat anyone and they look like a very solid bet to be the top Asian team at this year’s World Cup.
Qatar’s troubles could continue
Lowest Scoring Team: Qatar @ 10/1
Qatar were the joint-lowest scoring team at the last World Cup in which they were hosts and they are a very tempting price to occupy the same position at this year’s edition.
They managed to sneak through a fairly soft qualifying section but their form since then has taken a serious downward turn. They have been beaten by Palestine, Uzbekistan and Tunisia in the last 12 months and showed very little in their 1-0 defeat to Ireland last time out.
To add to their issues, the Maroon One have landed in a very competitive section at this year’s World Cup alongside Canada, Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It’s hard to see Julen Lopetegui’s men getting anything out of that group and they could struggle to find the net too considering their recent issues going forward.
While there are a number of contenders to be the lowest scoring team, Qatar could be a perfect storm of an out of form team in a tough section and as a result they look overpriced to be the lowest scoring side.
Shankland a dark horse for Scotland
Top Scotland Scorer: Lawrence Shankland @ 8/1
Scotland are back at a World Cup for the first time since 1998 and while Scott McTominay, Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean’s goals from their crucial 4-2 win which secured qualification are now famous, Lawrence Shankland may feel underappreciated for his crucial goal to take the lead in that game.
He started Scotland’s warm-up clash against Curacao, netting twice and having had a phenomenal season for Hearts, scoring 16 goals in 28 starts as his side narrowly missed out on winning the Scottish Premiership title.
Shankland is clearly in a battle with Che Adams to lead the line for his country but his finishing and movement in the box should be a real positive in games where Adams’ physicality is less important.
Scott McTominay is a fair favourite to be top Scotland scorer but considering Shankland’s form and the fact that he could well lead the line for Steve Clarke’s side, he is a tempting price at 8/1.
