Soccer Betting News This Week | World Cup Knockout Drama, Market Watch & Analysis | July 3, 2026

By Seb Blasco, Updated on: Jul 3, 2026 12:00 AM

Ater a cautious group stage, the knockout rounds delivered everything fans could have hoped for: late winners, heavyweight clashes, emotional farewells, and the first real signs of who might go all the way.

Spain rediscovered their best form, England survived a major scare, Cristiano Ronaldo kept his dream alive, and the tournament now heads into a last 16 packed with blockbuster ties. With the favourites beginning to separate themselves from the chasing pack, here’s everything you need to know as the race for World Cup glory intensifies.

For everything regarding the World Cup betting online, check out our World Cup page, which will also direct you to some of the best soccer sports betting sites around.

Biggest World Cup storylines this week

Spain Cruise Into The Last 16

England Head To CDMX

Haaland v Vini Jr

Portugal Come Out On Top In Last Dance

Can Anyone Stop France?

Spain cruised into the World Cup last 16 with a commanding 3-0 win over Austria in Inglewood on July 2, as Mikel Oyarzabal struck twice, Pedro Porro added another, and La Roja completely shut Austria down by not allowing a single shot on target, underlining just how much sharper and more balanced Luis de la Fuente’s side now look after a slightly uneven start to the tournament. Just as importantly, the performance felt like a statement rather than a routine qualification, with Lamine Yamal’s growing influence helping Spain rediscover their attacking rhythm and defensive authority ahead of a heavyweight round-of-16 clash with Portugal, a matchup that now looks like one of the standout ties of the knockout stage.

With 75 minutes gone in Atlanta, England were staring down the barrel of World Cup elimination to a team ranked 41st in the FIFA rankings. The embarrassment of Iceland 2016 was beginning to rear its head, and pundits were already discussing who would be the next England manager. Enter Harry Kane. Two goals in the last quarter were enough to keep England alive, finally banishing a spirited DR Congo side, who will leave their tournament with their reputation enhanced. There are a few different readings of this one. England were panicked in the first quarter, and nearly went two goals behind when Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa hit the post. If that had gone in we could easily be talking about a new low for England at international tournaments. That said, DR Congo were better than people expected, and England created plenty of chances, the DR Congo keeper having the game of his life. Tuchel didn't panic and England were eventually rewarded, winning their first World Cup knockout game from a losing position since 1966. England will now travel to CDMX to play host Mexico in the Azteca. Outside of Mexico, England would surely be favourites, but with less than two days to acclimatise to the altitude, they face an uphill task against a side who rarely lose at home. England are currently priced at -140 to progress. Whatever happens, this should be a World Cup classic.

Late goals for both Norway and Brazil set up a tantalising tie between two of the stars of this World Cup. Brazil had to come from behind against a strong Japan team, Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli finding the winner with virtually the last kick of the game. It was a similar story for Norway, who needed an 85th-minute winner from Erling Haaland to beat the Ivory Coast 2-1. This will be the first time two Golden Boot contenders have met in the tournament, Haaland currently third in the goalscoring charts with five, whilst Vinicius Jr ranks joint fourth on four. Of course only one can proceed. Haaland is priced at +550 to finish top scorer, whilst Vini Jr is +800. The current favourites are still Messi at +300 and Mbappé at +175.

Two icons of football met in Toronto last night, for what was being billed as the last dance. Luka Modrić and Cristiano Ronaldo, a combined age of 80 years old, met in what is surely the last World Cup for both men. As it happened, Ronaldo lives to fight another day, whilst the curtain has finally closed on Luka Modrić's illustrious World Cup career, which included a final in 2018 and a semi-final in 2022. This was an old-fashioned battle between two high quality sides, momentum swinging throughout the game. For the first time in World Cup history a total of four disallowed goals were recorded, one of which denied Croatia an equaliser in the last second of the match. In the end it finished 2-1, but it really could have gone either way. Croatia will be left to rue missed chances, whilst Portugal will now face neighbours Spain.

France have been the standout performer so far, rising to the top of the prediction market at +250. Their strength in depth is unmatched, and with Mbappé in the form of his life, it's been very hard to see anyone stopping them. But if Spain can get their act together, and it looks like they are, then things may be slightly more complicated than many would predict. Yamal has been a peripheral figure so far, but if he can play himself into form, then the European Champions will not fear France. A Spain v France semi-final prediction is probably a smart move, with BetNow currently pricing it at +275. Who progresses from that one is anyone's guess.

13 nations have punched their ticket to the Round of 16 so far! 🎟️#FIFAWorldCup #Qualfied @mcdonalds pic.twitter.com/FS3LEZHAmd

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 3, 2026

Which of the home nations will go furthest?

The USA, Mexico & Canada have given their fans a tournament to remember, but how far will they go?

USA (+120 to Reach the quarter-finals)

Probably the best performers of the host nations, the USA look like a different beast altogether under manager Mauricio Pochettino. In Folarin Balogun they have found a genuine attacking threat with three goals in three matches. Behind him, Weston McKennie is having a great tournament, and Christian Pulisic is an ever-present threat. They overcame Bosnia 2-0 despite going down to ten men.

They will face Belgium next, who came from behind to beat Senegal 3-2 in dramatic fashion. This is not the Belgium of the Golden Generation, but it's hard to ignore coming from behind to defeat the African Champions. Undoubtedly the toughest opponent the USA will have faced so far.

Much will rest on whether the USA can manage without Balogun, who picked up a red card against Bosnia and will miss the tie with Belgium. On the plus side, Belgium is no doubt a favourable last-16 draw when you consider the rest of the pack. The USA will fancy their chances on home soil.

Mexico (+110 to reach the quarter-finals)

So how good are Mexico? It's very hard to say. They have won all four of their World Cup games so far and are yet to concede a goal. On paper this sounds great, but it's worth bearing in mind that their 2-0 win against Ecuador at the Azteca was the first time they had won a World Cup knockout game in four decades.

Put simply, Mexico are good… when they're playing in Mexico. They have only ever lost twice in 89 games at the Azteca. Luckily for them, their last-16 game will also be played at the Azteca, against an England side who will have no time to adjust to the altitude. Taking all of this into account, this is probably the best chance Mexico will ever have of progressing to the quarter-finals. But if they're to go any further than that, they will have to play outside their own country…

Canada (+300 to reach the quarter-finals)

Canada has enjoyed their most successful World Cup of all time. Before this tournament they had never progressed from the group, let alone reached the last 16. They will now face a Morocco side bang in form, fresh off the back of their win against the Dutch. This tournament will live long in the memory for Canadian fans, but this will surely be their last dance.

🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: England will face Mexico in the last 16 of the World Cup. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇲🇽

The match will be played at the iconic Estadio Azteca at 1am on Sunday night/Monday morning.

At 2,200 metres above sea level, England will have to cope with the altitude, the atmosphere and a… pic.twitter.com/EFwofwsPJi

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) July 1, 2026

Who are the darkhorses to win the World Cup?

Morocco (+1200 to win the World Cup)

Semi-finalists in Qatar and current African Champions, no one will want to face Morocco. Unlike some of the current favourites -Spain and France - Morocco have already faced tough challenges in this tournament, and have thus far come out on top. This is a battle-hardened side who know how to win.

They edged the opening-day draw with Brazil, and then managed to overcome a very competitive Dutch side. They will face Canada next, a game they should definitely win. In all likelihood we will see Morocco face France in the quarter-finals, and whilst France will be heavily favoured, I wouldn't bet against Morocco. For an outside play, Morocco look like great value for money.

England (+700 to win the World Cup)

It might feel strange to call England underdogs, currently fourth favourites, but with France and Argentina so heavily backed, anyone outside the top two feels like a wildcard. England have failed to really catch fire so far, but with Harry Kane in the form of his life, and a route to the final that avoids France and Spain, I can see England making it to the final.

The match against Mexico in the Azteca feels like a litmus test for this team, but if they make it past that, then they will surely feel confident of taking on Brazil. The potential for a semi-final with Argentina is a tantalising prospect.

Portugal (+1000 to win the World Cup)

On paper Portugal have the best midfield at the tournament, the pairing of Neves and Vitinha has been terrorising Europe for the last two years, providing the backbone to PSG's Champions League dominance. In front of them, Bruno Fernandes, the Premier League Player of the Year. As we move deeper into the tournament, midfield control typically comes to the fore, as tiredness and nerves set in.

After beating Croatia in a tight game that could have gone either way, they will now face Iberian rivals Spain. If Portugal can get through that - and it's a big if - but if they can, then their current price represents amazing value.

Previous betting news updates

[July, 2026]: Spain through to last 16 of the World Cup.
[June, 2026]: Ecuador qualify for the knockout phase of the World Cup.
[June, 2026]: USMNT qualify for the knockout phase of the World Cup.
[June, 2026]: USMNT kicked off the World Cup with a 4-1 win against Paraguay.
[June, 2026]: Spain are favourites to win the World Cup.
[May 28, 2026]: PSG edged into slight favouritism for the Champions League final in Budapest, with Arsenal still close behind.
[May 27, 2026]: England's World Cup squad announcement caused a stir after several big-name omissions, while they remained among the main contenders.
[May 25, 2026]: Spain stayed near the top of the World Cup outright market despite injury concerns around key players.
[May 22, 2026]: Norway gained traction as a popular dark horse ahead of the World Cup, led by Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard.
[April 15, 2026]: Arsenal entered the Champions League quarter-final market as +225 favourites.
[Early February 2026]: Arsenal moved to -500 favourites to win the Premier League following a dominant winter run.
[December 2025]: Arsenal slipped to -145 in the title market after a rash of injuries disrupted their momentum.

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Meet the author

Seb Blasco

Seb Blasco has a background spanning journalism, sports betting, and filmmaking. After earning a degree in sports business with a focus on European football, he began his career as a sport betting analyst, working with major broadcasters and sports betting firms. More r...