The name of the game has changed. You might know it simply as “FIFA,” but the top soccer video game franchise in the world is now known simply as “EA Sports FC.” Despite shedding the FIFA imprimatur, this amazing game still draws Canadians from coast to coast, especially when the FIFA World Cup is in season. According to Ozoon Sportsbook data, the most popular FIFA teams in Canada are also the top favourites on the 2026 World Cup odds board as we go to press:
– France (+475)
– Spain (+475)
– England (+700)
– Argentina (+850)
– Brazil (+850)
Whether it’s the video game version or IRL, these five teams have it all: star power, high ratings, and recent competitive success. All the arrows are pointing in the right direction, which is why these five sides dominate the betting market heading into the 2026 World Cup.
Why Do Canadians Prefer Certain Teams?
Pretty much everyone who picks up a game controller and plays EA Sports FC is an actual soccer fan, and just like the betting markets at Ozoon, they care the most about their favourite teams. Team Canada would obviously be the preferred choice for most players in the Great White North, but there’s a problem: Canada doesn’t rate very highly in EA FC 26, as you might expect from a team that’s a +20000 long shot to win the World Cup.
Canadians might not be as invested in Alphonso Davies (84 rating, No. 170 overall) if they want to win at FIFA, but those who have followed Davies’ career at Bayern Munich will be familiar with the likes of Germany’s Joshua Kimmich (89 rating, No. 20) and England’s Harry Kane (89 rating, No. 23). That player familiarity will help drive gamers to those two national teams.
Beyond the pitch, the influence of other FIFA gamers has a significant role in who Canadians want to play as. The competitive EA Sports FC scene leans heavily on the top teams with the highest ratings; the “meta” conversation that springs up around these teams filters down to casual players as well.
As it happens, France has been at or near the top of international soccer for nearly 30 years now, and they’ve got two of the five best players in FIFA: Kylian Mbappe (91 rating, No. 3) and Ousmane Dembele (90 rating, No. 5). Combine that with their Francophone fan base in Canada, and the constant presence of Les Bleus in the FIFA content gamers are watching, and it’s easy to see why France is No. 1 on our list.
How Do Star Players Influence Team Popularity in FIFA World Cup?
A single elite player can pull an entire national team up the popularity rankings. Erling Haaland (90 rating, No. 10) is a goal-scoring machine for Manchester City; his presence fuels Norway’s popularity even though they’re +3500 outsiders for the 2026 World Cup – Canadians still pick them in tournament mode regardless.
It still helps if a team has more than one star player, of course. The combined star power of Davies and Juventus forward Jonathan David (82 rating, No. 409) will get at least some Canadians to don the virtual Maple Leaf the next time they play FC 26. But it’s hard to beat the collective talent on the French side, which also features Jules Kounde (87 rating, No. 62), William Saliba (87 rating, No. 64) and several others in the Top 100.
Are Popular National Teams Also Favourites in Different Betting Markets?
Absolutely. As we said at the beginning, the most popular teams in the FIFA game are also the top favourites on the World Cup odds board at Ozoon, starting with France and Spain. That popularity extends to the betting markets for single matches, where France is pulling in major money as –222 favourites on the 1X2 odds for their group stage match with Senegal (+600).
As for the World Cup props market, the leading favourites for Highest Scoring Team happen to be Spain (+375), England (+600) and France (+600). It’s more of the same up and down the odds list – and that’s how it should be when you’re dealing with the best national teams in the world. If you’re looking for betting value, you might want to “fade the public” and look for the less famous teams and players on the board.
How Does the FIFA World Cup Influence National Team Popularity?
Club soccer and national team soccer are two different things. Aside from your own heritage, the World Cup – which puts the spotlight on the national programs – might be the most important driving force when it comes to popularity. The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest thing fans north of the border have ever seen; Canada is co-hosting, BMO Field and BC Place are both on the schedule, and our men’s national program is about to become more recognized than ever before on home soil.
France and Argentina can expect big boosts as well with their international fan bases. Keep an eye on the key World Cup betting markets: match winners, outrights for the title, and player props. The World Cup brings the highest global betting volume in all of sports, so if there’s any time to fade the public, this is it.
What Should Canadian Bettors Know About Popular FIFA World Cup Teams?
Popular doesn’t necessarily mean profitable. The same five teams that dominate Canadian lobbies in EA FC 26 – France, Spain, England, Argentina and Brazil – are the same teams whose lines get hammered by public money. As talented as France may be, their +475 odds to win the World Cup translate to an implied win probability of 17.4%. That’s almost certainly too high in a tournament with at least seven serious contenders, maybe eight if you include the Netherlands at +2200.
If you’re new to soccer betting, or sports betting in general, the 2026 World Cup is a perfect opportunity to learn the difference between value betting on underdogs vs. public betting on the favourites. You can find out more about the best soccer betting markets for beginners right here at Ozoon – the consensus No. 1 choice as the best sportsbook to bet on soccer in Canada.
