What Can UK Punters expect from 2022 FIFA World Cup?

The FIFA World Cup is one of the most watched tournaments on the sporting calendar and is enjoyed by a global audience. It is also a hugely anticipated betting event and there was a total global betting turnover of €136billion at Russia 2018. With the 2022 World Cup set to be the first tournament to take place in winter, as well as cause a temporary halt to Europe’s domestic top flights, there is expected to be serious interest in both the pre-tournament and in-play betting markets from UK punters.

With a number of popular ante-post markets such as Tournament Winner and Top Goalscorer having been priced up since the start of 2022, we’ve taken a look at what bettors can expect from this unique and a fascinating month-long footballing extravaganza.

Fantastic Offers and Generous Promotions

The best UK betting sites tend to offer a variety of promotions and bonuses throughout the course of the year, however, when it comes to international tournaments, online bookmakers have a tendency to raise the stakes.

From ‘no lose’ bets to enhanced odds on daily accumulators, there are always plenty of offers to take advantage of ahead of a major tournament. If you are considering signing up to a new online bookmaker imminently, then it may be worth waiting until November as you’re far more likely to receive additional benefits and a far larger welcome bonus.

Slow Starts and Low-scoring Group Stage Matches (Potentially)

The 2022 World Cup will be the first major tournament to be staged in an Arabic state and despite this event having been moved to the end of the year, it is still expected to be fairly warm. As well as adapting to this unfamiliar climate, the majority of players will also be arriving mid-season, some of whom will be carrying knocks and will have had less than a week to prepare for this hugely competitive and potentially exhausting undertaking.

Although we can expect some scintillating knock-out contests in the last 16, the group stage is far more unlikely to burst into life during the opening few days. From a punting perspective, backing low-scoring games may be a sensible approach whereas those who enjoy exploring the 15 and 30 minute markets may wish to oppose goals during the early stages of these contests.

Lionel Messi to Disappoint in the Race for the Golden Boot

2018 World Cup top goal-scorer Harry Kane is predictably priced up as the favourite in the Golden Boot market, however, there will be many punters who will be tempted to back Argentina’s Lionel Messi to finally shine on the international stage.

Despite netting four times in 2014, the talismanic 35-year old notched just a single goal four years ago and failed to register at the 2010 World Cup. At the time of writing, the PSG man is around fourth favourite in the ante-post odds and considering that this is highly likely to be his final World Cup appearance, there will be plenty of sentimental bets placed on the Argentine to produce the goods for La Albiceleste. He will face stiff competition from his nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo whereas the likes of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior have delivered on a far more consistent basis over the last twelve months.

An Unexpected Breakout Star to Emerge

Although the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and the aforementioned Lionel Messi tend to dominate the headlines at major tournaments, there are always one or two lesser known players who tend to make a name for themselves in front of a global audience.

The relatively unknown James Rodriguez was the star of the 2014 World Cup whereas players such as El Hadji-Diouf and Lukas Podolski have also briefly shone at this international event.

There has already been plenty of discussion surrounding the identity of this year’s potential breakout star, so it’s always worth keeping an eye on the squad announcements and the warm-up fixtures for possible clues.

Punters are always aiming to stay one step ahead of the bookmakers so if you’re eyeing up a young player who appears to be overpriced in the goal-scorer markets, it’s always advised to strike early and make sure you back them to shine in Qatar.