World Cup Betting Story – Before and Now

The world will soon be talking only about football. The reason for this is the 2014 World Cup, which will take place in Brazil between 12th June and 13th July.

Keeping in mind that this football tournament takes place only once every four years, it is not surprising that it always brings a lot of mixed feelings.

From excitement and accomplished dreams to disappointment and hundreds of thousands lost in sports bets. One thing is for sure, online sportsbook operators love the month of football craziness when most part of the world is obsessed with the game and is ready to bet fabulous amounts of money.

History of the World Cup Tournaments

There have been 19 FIFA World Cup tournaments since the first event that took place in Uruguay in 1930. So far eight countries have won the Cup and this year’s winner will be determined among the 32 participating teams.

Brazil is on the top of the list with 5 trophies – the South American country was winner in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002.

Second comes Italy with 4 cups – 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006. Third is Germany with 3 titles – 1954, 1974 and 1990. The fourth place is shared between Argentina (1978 and 1986) and Uruguay (1930 and 1950). England (1966), France (1998) and Spain (2010) share the last place with one trophy each.

The current format of the tournament includes the already mentioned 32 national teams, which compete over a period of one month in the host country. In order for a team to reach this final stage, there is qualification phase which happens over a period of three years prior the finals. The host country’s team qualifies for the finals directly without playing any qualifications.

The following teams made it to the finals this year and will compete in Brazil:

Africa – Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria
Asia – Australia, Iran, Japan and Korea Republic
Europe – Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland
North and Central America – Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and USA
South America – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Uruguay

After Brazil, the next two World Cup tournaments will happen in Russia (2018) and Quatar (2022), which shows how the choice of hosts has become more political and less related to established football nations.

Popular sportsbooks and their bets

Facts about the 2014 World Cup:

• It will take place in Brazil in June-July
• 32 teams will compete for the trophy
• Brazil as a team and Messi as an individual have the highest chances to become winning team and top goalscorer, according to the bookies

Football is a sport that requires a lot of concentration, team work and practice, but as the previous World Cups have shown luck also should be taken into consideration.

Therefore, it is not a surprise that the winner is not always the team that played the best football or had the most devoted players. This is where bettors win big or fail in their predictions. One thing is for sure, the World cup is one of the most important events in the calendar for both fans and bookies across the world. Following, are the betting categories of three of the most popular houses that offer bet on sports worldwide.

Bet365 offers its players the opportunity to bet in numerous categories. Starting with the most common ones Full Time Result, Goals Odd/Even, Asian Handicap & Goal Line, Goals Over/Under, 1st Half Asians, Both Teams to Score, Double Chance and Draw No Bet.

The other opportunities for punters to win are if they bet on: To win Outright, Top Goalscorer, Group Betting, Group Qualification, To Be In Finals Squad, To Reach Quarter-Final, To Reach Semi-Final, Winner and Top Goalscorer, Will a Country Win the World Cup for the 1st Time, Stage of Elimination, Top Team Goalscorer, Winners Group and Winning Continent. Bet365 gives Brazil 3/1 to win the tournament in the most popular bet option. Not surprisingly, Lionel Messi from Argentina gets the highest chances to score the most 8/1.

Ladbrokes offer less betting categories: Group Winner, Group Straight Forecast, Group Dual Forecast, To qualify from group, Tournament Specials for all participating countries, different combinations of country specific combinations, Tournament Winner, Top Tournament Goalscorer, Name of Finalists, Continent of Winner, First Time Winner. Ladbrokes also gives Brazil 3/1 to win the cup at home. Lionel Messi again gets the highest odds to become the top goalscorer with the same 8/1.

PaddyPower also provides players with the opportunity to win from successful bets during the 2014 World Cup. The categories are: Group Qualifications, Dual Forecasts, Stage of Elimination of all Participants, Group Winners, Which Group Will the Winner Come From, Name the Finalists.

Other options to bet are: To Reach the Final, To Reach the Quarter Finals, To Reach the Semi-Finals, Straight Group Forecasts, Winner, Top Goalscorer, Winner & Top Goalscorer Doubles and England Top Goalscorer. PaddyPower gives Brazil 10/3 to win the tournament. The operator joins the other two and gives Messi the same chances to get the Golden Boot 8/1.

2014 summer in Brazil will definitely be hot and thrilling

This summer will be more than exciting for football fans, bettors and betting operators around the world. Everyone will be watching the games, making predictions and hoping for their team to win. Some will win and some will lose, but this is why football is a magical game – one can never know what the next game will bring.

Punters will definitely be hoping for a lot of luck in their bets, especially on games where the winner might be a surprise and not the expected favorite. This is how big winnings will be distinguished and large prizes will be won by bettors and sports fans.