
Study our trends, stats and tips and then place your bet on the 2010 World Cup winner at the best available world cup odds.
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All the past world cup winners are listed below with their world cup betting odds at the start of the tournament, where available.
We also list the world cup betting for runners up where that information is available.
| Year | Host | Winner | Odds | Runner Up | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Germany | Italy | 10/1 | France | 14/1 |
| 2002 | S Korea/Japan | Brazil | 7/1 | Germany | 20/1 |
| 1998 | France | France | 7/1 | Brazil | 10/3 |
| 1994 | USA | Brazil | 10/3 | Italy | 6/1 |
| 1990 | Italy | West Germany | 7/1 | Argentina | 14/1 |
| 1986 | Mexico | Argentina | 4/1 | West Germany | 14/1 |
| 1982 | Spain | Italy | - | West Germany | - |
| 1978 | Argentina | Argentina | - | Netherlands | - |
| 1974 | West Germany | West Germany | - | Netherlands | - |
| 1970 | Mexico | Brazil | - | Italy | - |
| 1966 | England | England | - | West Germany | - |
| 1962 | Chile | Brazil | - | Czechoslovakia | - |
| 1958 | Sweden | Brazil | - | Sweden | - |
| 1954 | Switzerland | West Germany | - | Hungary | - |
| 1950 | Brazil | Uruguay | - | Brazil | - |
| 1938 | France | Italy | - | Hungary | - |
| 1934 | Italy | Italy | - | Czechoslovakia | - |
| 1930 | Uruguay | Uruguay | - | Argentina | - |
Six of the eighteen World Cup Winners were the host nation. That means a third of the host nations have won. A further two host nations were the losing finalists.
This bodes well for South Africa who will be hosting the 2010 World Cup. South Africa have struggled over the last few years and on initial inspection would have little chance of making an impact at the World Cup but you should never underestimate the host nation.
Possibly the most startling stat is the record of countries playing within their own continent. In fifteen of the eighteen World Cups that have been contested the winner has been playing in their home continent.
The three times the World Cup has been won by a team from outside of the host continent it has been won by Brazil. If this stat is continued then either an African team will win the World Cup or Brazil will win the World Cup.
The African sides have really come on leaps and bounds over the last ten years or so and many of the top European club sides field African players. If it is an African side that wins the World Cup it is likely to be one of the following
South Africa have failed to set the world alight in the last few years and failed to score in the 2006 African Cup of Nations. As a result of this by the end of 2008 they had dropped to 85th in the FIFA World Rankings. If it werent for home advantage they would be written off but home advantage should see them progress at least from the groups and possibly much further.
Ivory Coast have a wealth of talent all over the pitch and were unlucky in the 2006 World Cup to be drawn in a group with Argentina, Netherlands and Serbia and Montenegro but they still emerged with credit coming third in the group. They also finished runners up to Egypt (the hosts) in the 2006 African Cup of Nations. Ivory Coast are surely the best of the African contingent.
Cameroon, like Egypt, have have won two of the last five African Cup of Nations but surprisingly failed to qualify for the last World Cup in Germany. With Samuel Eto?o spearheading their attack they are a team that should be feared by everyone.
Fared the best of the African sides at the 2006 World Cup after qualifying from their group but were no match for Brazil in the second round, eventually losing 3-0.
How have we got this far without mentioning the Europeans who have won every other World Cup since 1966? Well, for a start a European side has never won the World Cup when it has been played outside of Europe. In the last six World Cups held outside of Europe a European nation has finished runner up each time so it might be worth backing one to reach the final.
Spain were very impressive in winning Euro 2008 and as they also had one of the youngest squads in that tournament it would be no surprise if they improved yet again.