World Cup betting odds and tips

World Cup Top Players

David Villa will go into the World Cup as favourite to win the Golden Shoe at a best price of 10/1 with the price reflecting the Valencia man's encouraging qualifying campaign in which he top scored for Spain with seven goals. And those seven goals added to the 28-year old's impressive international goalscoring record, making it 37 goals in 55 international appearances whilst domestically this year Villa has been in top form as ever, finding the back of the net 20 times so far in La Liga as well as scoring seven in eleven during this year's Europa League campaign.

 

Someone who will have something to say about that is the man who is arguably the best player in the world at the moment, Leo Messi. A price of 11/1 is on offer for those who believe the Barcelona man will top the goalscoring charts but Messi goes into the competition after a poor qualifying campaign by his standards, scoring just four times in Argentina's eighteen matches. The 22-year old, unquestionably, has the ability to win the Golden Shoe but their are question marks over the rest of Argentinian squad and their coach Diego Maradona, after the South Americans barely scraped into the hat for the tournament.

Another Spaniard comes in at third in the running for the Golden Shoe but their are concerns over Fernando Torres' fitness going into the World Cup and their are suggestions the Liverpool striker may not even feature in South Africa. With that in mind the price of 12/1 may be a bit too much of a gamble, especially considering Torres failed to find the back of the net at all in qualification. If he's fit and starting then he has a chance but at 12/1 and taking into account his fitness and international goalscoring record, it may not be worth the gamble.
 

Brazil's best source of goals will come from Sevilla forward Luis Fabiano who guided his country to top spot in the qualifying rounds with nine goals in eighteen matches. That made it 25 in 36 international matches for the 29-year old who will go into the tournament in decent form having scored eleven in nineteen La Liga appearances this season and a best price of 12/1 is on offer for Fabiano topping the goalscoring charts. Brazil are far from assured of a place in the knockout stages having been drawn in a group alongside Portugal and Ivory Coast and so Fabiano could be limited to just three games. Fabiano's goals could take Brazil a long way in this tournament, but if he misfires early on it could be the end of his and Brazil's world cup.
 
England are being touted as possible winners of this year's competition and any success will be dependant on the goalscoring form of striker Wayne Rooney who is priced at 12/1 to win the Golden Shoe. 10 goals in qualifying and his best haul in a domestic season suggests the Man Utd forward is in great form going into England's first match on June 12 and a best price of 1/12 to qualify from Group C and 3/1 to reach the final the odds suggest Rooney will have plenty of time to wrap up a first English Golden Shoe since Gary Lineker 24 years ago.
 

2006 Golden Shoe winner Miroslav Klose has been written off as the 2010 winner despite his superb World Cup goalscoring record along with Germany's ability to up their game at World Cup time. Germany may not win the competition but they should advance pretty far and so at 33/1 Klose could be worth a bet. As could Robin van Persie who is set to spearhead an improving Holland side after returning from long term injury. Holland have the ability to go the distance and van Persie has the ability to score from anywhere and so at 40/1 the Arsenal forward is well worth considering.