Punters worldwide are backing Norway to win the 2026 World Cup at twice the rate they are supporting England, according to striking new data from Sportradar.
The betting data provider, which handles wagering on behalf of more than 250 gambling firms worldwide, revealed Norway account for 10 per cent of all World Cup winner betting tickets processed.
England, by contrast, have attracted just five per cent of bets on the outright market ahead of their opening match against Croatia in Dallas.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are currently third favourites to lift the trophy, sitting behind France and Spain in the market despite their strong pre-tournament billing.
Norway’s remarkable share of the betting market is driven largely by domestic support, with around 70 per cent of all bets on the Scandinavians coming from Nordic gamblers.
The remaining 30 per cent reflects genuine international belief in a side spearheaded by Manchester City forward Erling Haaland, one of the tournament’s most dangerous attackers.
That level of support is all the more surprising given this is only Norway’s fourth ever World Cup appearance, having last qualified in 1998 and never progressed beyond the last 16.
Norway were priced at between 28/1 and 40/1 to win the tournament before their opening game against Iraq, making the volume of bets placed on them particularly notable.
England’s position in the market has actually weakened as the tournament has progressed, with their share of outright winner bets dropping from eight per cent in April to five per cent now.
Only France, Portugal, and Spain have attracted more bets than Norway in the outright winner market, though all three carry significantly shorter odds.
Darren Small, SVP Managed Trading Services at Sportradar, said “with the tournament well underway fans worldwide are responding to how teams are performing on the pitch.”
Small noted that “Spain and the Netherlands both underwhelmed in their opening games, which explains the continued support for France in the outright market.”
He added that “England haven’t kicked a ball yet and they’re drifting, so it will be interesting to see how the fans respond following the result on Wednesday.”
Despite the lack of confidence in England winning the tournament, roughly 60 per cent of one million betting tickets handled by Sportradar back them to beat Croatia in their opening fixture.