World Cup betting odds: The outright favourites heading to Russia

Only eight nations have ever won the World Cup before, leaving an obvious few as the clear favourites every four years. It will take a brave bet to put heaps of money on any team outside of the usual chasing pack.

Money will also be made on players' individual performances. The likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar will be popular choices as the tournament goes on.

Here are the latest odds for every major outright bet ahead of Thursday's opener in Russia:

Tournament winner

(Odds courtesy: Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook)

Brazil is the odds-on favourite to win the World Cup in Russia, followed closely by four-time champion Germany. The latter has reached the semi-finals in each of the past four World Cups, but the Selecao is roaring back under the management of Tite. Despite an erratic qualifying campaign, Argentina is favoured well ahead of Euro 2016 winner Portugal. Meanwhile, Panama and Saudi Arabia are the longests shots at 1000-1 and 2000-1, respectively.

Golden Boot winner

(Odds courtesy: Westgate Superbook)

The bookies don't seem to care that Messi has scored just five goals across three World Cups. He's on even keel with Neymar, who's nearing a full recovery from foot surgery. Antoine Griezmann, Euro 2016's scoring champion with six goals and two assists, is next in line. Diego Costa, Spain's lone target man, is listed at interesting 25-1 odds.

Golden Ball winner

(Odds courtesy: bet365)

The clear consensus across sports books is that Neymar will be crowned the tournament's best player. The 26-year-old is already Brazil's third-highest all-time scorer behind Ronaldo and Pele - something that's not been lost in the betting world. Spain's David Silva and Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne - two of the most intelligent midfielders in the game - are also among the favourites for the Golden Ball. Meanwhile, Paul Pogba is listed just outside the top 10 at 33-1 odds.