France, England, Spain or Argentina? How a $5.3 billion betting market is calling World Cup

After 100 matches and more than a month of captivating football, the FIFA World Cup 2026 has reached its defining stage with only four teams left standing. It is a historic semi-final line-up in more ways than one. For the first time since FIFA introduced its world rankings in 1992, the top four-ranked teams in the world - France, Argentina, Spain and England - have all progressed to the last four of the World Cup. It is also the first time since the 1990 edition that all four semi-finalists are former world champions, underlining the quality and pedigree of the teams still in contention.Much has been debated over the past month about who would emerge victorious from the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup, a tournament expanded to include a record 104 matches and 32 knockout fixtures.