World Cup Free Bets & Betting Offers for 2026

On this page I will detail the best free bets and betting offers for World Cup 2026 available to both new and existing customers. You will find an overview of when and where to expect free bets during the tournament, information about the best betting sites to use for World Cup free bets, as well as which betting markets are available now, plus the current World Cup 2026 betting odds.

To get things started, here is a toplist of UK bookmakers who are worthy of your attention for World Cup betting.

World Cup Betting Offers and Free Bets Explained

Bettors can expect a large quantity of new and existing customer free bet offers being promoted both before and during the 2026 World Cup tournament. Major bookmakers like Sky Bet, Paddy Power and Bet365 will be leaning heavily into attracting new customers and are likely to prepare enhanced welcome offers for players without an account in the close build up to the tournament.

Once things have kicked off, these same bookies will also take advantage of England fixtures to tailor offers to these high-profile events with the intention of boosting high probability selections at inflated odds to entice new players, such as Harry Kane to register a shot on target at 50/1 instead of the odds-on price that existing customers must settle for.

The bet X get Y offers will run throughout the tournament up until the latter stages when it will switch to short-lived deals on certain games. As for the match specific offers, these will be made available to the public at least 24 hours in advance and will expire at the specific fixture’s kick-off time.

What we know about the tournament so far is that the United States, Mexico and Canada are the three host nations for the event, which takes place between 11th June to 19th July 2026. Matches will be staged across 16 different cities, and the format has been expanded from 32 teams to 48, with the final held in New York.

It should also be noted that punters can already get a leg up on their friends by placing bets on the outright winner, with over 25 different bookmakers offering prices on 50+ nations to win the top prize in international football 18 months before the competition starts.

Best Betting Sites for World Cup Free Bets

Those seeking the best World Cup betting offers should also be taking into account who the UK’s best football betting sites are before choosing.

Although the 2026 World Cup is still too far out to determine specific offers, I can tell you who the major players will be during next year’s summer competition. Powerhouses Bet365, Paddy Power, Betfair, Betfred, and Sky Bet will target this major competition heavily, seeking to provide plenty of Free World Cup bets to both new and existing customers across the duration of the event.

Other prominent bookmakers such as BetMGM, Betano, CopyBet and Midnite will seek to raise their profile and acquire plenty of new business within the UK market using the same tactics.

1. Sky Bet

Sky currently offers £30 in free bets to new customers who deposit at least £5 and place a 5p minimum stake on a sports selection at odds of 1/1 or greater.

Sky Bet increased their flagship new customer promotion to 5 x £10 free bet tokens from the same initial stake amount for almost the entire duration of Euro 2024. The bookmaker also had a variety of specials and match specific welcome offers to take advantage of, like England to have a shot on target in the final versus Spain at 50/1 for those without an account.

Additionally, enticing boosts on popular fixtures, especially England games, were available to existing customers, such as Harry Kane to have a shot on target against Serbia at 1/1 instead of the normal price of 1/6.

2. Bet365

Bet365’s welcome offer stands as Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets, requiring new customers to deposit and bet at least £5 on a selection at minimum odds of 1/1 to unlock their bet credits.

At Euro 2024, Bet365 ran their very popular Super Boosts across the whole tournament, with selections ranging from England to beat Serbia at 1/1 in the Three Lions’ opening fixture to bets like the Wales vs Finland match to see at least one first half goal at 11/10 which both new and ongoing customers could benefit from.

3. Paddy Power

At Paddy Power new customers can score £50 in bet builder free bets from a £10 initial stake placed on a selection at odds of at least 1/1.

During Euro 2024, Paddy Power offered a multitude of match specific offers throughout the tournament, such as 30/1 for a goal to be scored in the opening fixture in Germany vs Scotland. The firm also had a number of different boosts, including allowing players to request their own power prices across each fixture.

4. Betfair

Similarly with Betfair, £50 in free bets are available to new players who place a sportsbook single or multiple bet with minimum odds of evens (2.0).

Just like its sister site Paddy Power, Betfair targeted specific matches for new customer deals, opting for player centric propositions, like Scott McTominay to commit at least one foul at 30/1 in the opening match of Germany vs Scotland. Their welcome offer was slightly lower than the current £50 in free bets package at B10G40, however, it was an improvement on their sign up deal at the time which was bet £10 get £30 in free bets.

5. Betfred

Betfred offers new customers £50 worth of free bets by placing a first bet of £10 on any sportsbook selection at odds of evens or greater.

In addition to their free-to-play predictor game, Betfred stuck with their bet £10 get £50 in free bets welcome offer and paired this with allowing new and existing customers to place £10 on the competition’s top goalscorer to receive a £2 free bet for each game that their selection scored in.

How to Claim World Cup Free Bets

When it comes to claiming World Cup betting promotions you’ll want an idea of the general sign up process that bookmakers require in order to unlock your bonuses faster which is why I’ve provided you with this numbered guide to follow.

1. Go to your chosen bookmaker via any link on FootballTips.com.
2. Hit any variation of the ‘Join Now’ button found on the bookmaker’s landing page to begin the registration process.
3. Enter the welcome offer promo code if necessary.
4. Fill in your personal details, creating a username and password to keep your new account secure.
5. Make a qualifying deposit, typically at least £10.
6. Place a qualifying bet, usually a minimum of £10 on an applicable sportsbook selection at minimum odds of 1/1.
7. Receive your free bets bonus once your qualifying bet has settled and use the tokens before the bookmaker’s specified expiry date (often seven days).

Types of World Cup Betting Offers for New Customers

Every time a major football tournament rolls around new customers are inundated with welcome offers from bookmakers looking to recruit untapped players, and this involves a plethora of different sign up offers, from matched deposits to enhanced match specific odds.

Bet X Get Y in Free Bets

In a nutshell, this sign up offer requires a new customer to place a qualifying bet of a certain amount to receive a free bet or bonus in return. £10 is often the minimum wagering requirement and new players can expect to be rewarded with at least £30 in free bets from the major bookmakers, all the way up to £50 with some operators.

Matched Free Bets

Matched free bets are similar to BXGY welcome offers as both involve placing a qualifying bet to receive free bets, only this type rewards customers with a bonus of a certain percentage value from the first wager. These amounts can range from 50% all the way to 500% and vary depending on the selected bookie and the time of year when signing up.

Money Back Free Bets

A money back offer features familiar elements, such as a minimum qualifying bet amount, but tends to be focused around certain events and offers new players a lower implied risk through the reimbursement of a losing stake as free bets, credit or bonuses.

Enhanced Odds

Enhanced odds are match specific, boosted prices which offer inflated value to a new punter on a popular selection that they would otherwise have to back at a much lower price outside. An example of this could be both teams to score in the World Cup final being offered at odds of 30/1 when in reality the likelihood of this occurring is much higher and therefore would be a fraction of the price if selected normally.

World Cup Betting Offers for Existing Customers

It’s not just new customers that will benefit during the 2026 World Cup as bookmakers will also look to appeal to existing customers through an array of promotions, like reload bonuses and perks.

Regular Free Bets

Existing customers are rewarded for their loyalty with some operators in the form of free bets. These bonuses don’t usually have wagering requirements attached, but sometimes come with stipulations, such as an expiry date, or specific terms, like being used on a certain football fixture or bet type e.g. accumulators.

Odds Boosts

An odds boost is when a bookmaker selects a particular bet on a stated market and then increases the odds on that bet to give customers more value.

Reload Bonuses

Reload bonuses are often straight up bonuses where you deposit X and receive Y credited in free bets or as a bonus amount, intended to keep players active. This rewards players who continue to spend real money and can be sourced with most bookmakers during regular periods of the sporting calendar.

Acca Insurance

Acca insurance is a promotion that refunds accumulator bets if one selection fails. Not all bookmakers offer this safeguard, and your stake can be returned as a free bet or cash depending on the bookie and the terms involved.

New and existing punters alike will also be able to enjoy contemporary perks of gambling through the major tournament, such as football live streaming.

Which World Cup Betting Markets Can You Bet On Now?

The only two World Cup 2026 betting markets currently available are the outright winner and to qualify. When wagering on the ‘To Qualify’ market, it’s important to take into account how many spots each continent has and also to analyse a number of factors, such as a team’s current form, fixture list and group standings.

World Cup 2026 Winner Odds

The main World Cup 2026 betting market taking the interest of all punters is the outright winner. Below I’ve listed the top five favourites to win the tournament, along with their odds and some comments on each team.

• Spain (6/1 – bet365): The Euro 2024 winners have also reached the final four of the UEFA Nations League and deserve favouritism with plenty more yet to come from a young, maturing side.
• Brazil (7/1 – Ladbrokes): Despite wobbling in their CONMEBOL qualifying group, the five-time winners can never be counted out, and especially not with this tournament’s favourable climate.
• France (7/1 – Betway): Les Bleus will continue to threaten under pragmatist Didier Deschamps, who has steered his nation to victory in 2018 and reached the final in Qatar three years ago.
• England (7/1 – William Hill): There is plenty of optimism towards this new dawn for the Three Lions as Thomas Tuchel promises a more resilient England team capable of finally winning another major tournament.
• Argentina (8/1 – Sky Bet): The reigning champions became the first South American team to qualify for the tournament, although expectations may be somewhat tempered with the group led by an aging Lionel Messi.

World Cup 2026 – Key Dates

As well as monitoring World Cup offers for new customers, punters can make the most of the tournament by being aware of its important dates.

• Opening group match: Thursday 11th June 2026
• Closing group match: Saturday 27th June 2026
• First knockout match: Sunday 28th June 2026
• Quarter-finals begin: Thursday 9th July 2026
• Semi-finals begin: Tuesday 14th July 2026
• Bronze final: Saturday 18th July 2026
• Final: Sunday 19th July 2026

FAQs

When will World Cup 2026 betting offers go live?

We’ll start to see increased activity once the 2025/26 club campaigns have ended, with an all-out push expected by bookmakers in the week leading up to the tournament.

Where is World Cup 2026 being held?

World Cup 2026 will be hosted by 16 cities across three North American countries; the United States is the tournament’s main host, while Mexico and Canada are ancillary hosts.

Which is the best betting site for World Cup free bets?

It’s worth waiting closer to the time to see which betting site exactly is the best for World Cup free bets, however, during the regular season you can get an idea of which bookmakers are likely to be generous during the major tournament based on their current welcome offer, existing customer promotions and how competitive their odds are.

Who are the favourites for World Cup 2026?

European champions Spain are the favourites heading into World Cup 2026, with Brazil, France, England and Argentina all similarly priced at the top of the betting.

How many teams are competing at World Cup 2026?

World Cup 2026 is the first tournament with an increased capacity of 48 teams, expanded from 32 previously.