Spain moves into second in odds

Spain moved into second place on ESPN’s latest 2026 World Cup championship odds board on July 9, as betting markets tightened around the quarterfinal field. ESPN’s snapshot said France remained the clear favorite at +180, while Spain improved to +370 from +450 at the start of the tournament. The update came with the World Cup down to eight teams and one day before Spain’s quarterfinal against Belgium. ESPN’s bracket and schedule pages list that match for July 10 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. ### How far did Spain move on the board? ESPN’s July 9 betting story said Spain were second in the outright market, behind only France. The outlet said France had shortened from +500 before the tournament to +180, while Spain moved from +450 to +370. The quarterfinal field on ESPN’s bracket included France, Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Norway, England, Argentina and Switzerland. (espn.com) Spain reached this stage after beating Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16, according to ESPN’s bracket page. ### Why did Fabián Ruiz come up in the betting snapshot? ESPN’s betting snapshot specifically highlighted Fabián Ruiz as part of the market conversation around Spain. (espn.com) The story identified Ruiz as a player drawing attention as bookmakers and bettors reassessed Spain’s title chances entering the quarterfinals. (espn.com) ESPN’s broader World Cup coverage on July 9 also described Spain as one of the favorites still left in the tournament. On the live scoreboard page, Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said Spain were “one of the favourites to win the World Cup.” ### Who is still ahead of Spain? France remained first on ESPN’s odds board as of July 9. ESPN said the French had become the “clear favorites” at +180 with the tournament entering the quarterfinal round. (espn.com) Thursday’s first quarterfinal was France against Morocco at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, according to ESPN’s schedule. (espn.com) Spain’s position in the market therefore sat within a live knockout bracket that could still shift again as results came in. ### What does the Spain-Belgium matchup look like in the market? ESPN’s July 10 schedule listing showed Spain favored against Belgium. (espn.com) The page listed Spain-Belgium at noon local schedule time on FOX from SoFi Stadium, with Spain priced at -155 and the total at 2.5 goals. ESPN’s bracket page showed Belgium reached the quarterfinals by beating the United States 4-1, while Spain advanced by eliminating Portugal. (espn.com) Those results left Spain one win from the semifinals and helped frame why the outright market was being repriced before kickoff. ### When could the odds move again? July 10 is the next immediate checkpoint for Spain’s price because that is when Spain face Belgium in the quarterfinals, according to ESPN’s schedule. (espn.com) The semifinal between the winners of the France-Morocco and Spain-Belgium matches is set for July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (espn.com)