From Six Nations to AFCON: A South African Bettor’s Guide to The Most Notable International Tournaments

As we head deeper into 2026, we wanted to reflect on the exciting sporting calendar we experienced last year and in recent weeks, and look ahead. South African bettors have had their fill of events to whet their appetite and certainly have a lot coming up too. For football fans, the AFCON was a fantastic viewing experience, while rugby fans are inundated with Six Nations games taking place now in February and March 2026.

This summer sees the FIFA World Cup and there will be a record nine or even ten African teams taking part in the world’s biggest international football competition. Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana and Morocco have all claimed their place.

Here’s a bettor’s guide to the major international tournaments that will go down in history:

The African Cup of Nations started on 21 December 2025 and featured Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Senegal. 24 national teams competed up until the finale. The Ivory Coast won the trophy the time before but, with Morocco being the host nation, they were predicted to have an advantage last year. Achraf Hakimi had an outstanding 2025 with PSG, winning the Champions League, the Coupe de France and Ligue 1, so great things were expected of him. For Egypt, Mo Salah had endured a drop in form for Liverpool but when he stepped onto the pitch for the Pharaohs, he was predicted to put on a decent performance. How did it all end in 2025? The Senegal National Football team took the win. Many players in South Africa placed a soccer bet online during the AFCON tournament, which ran until 18 January 2026. The sport is only increasing in popularity and people certainly made their predictions heard in record numbers.

The rugby Six Nations kicked off on 5 February 2026 when holders France took on Ireland. France were outright favorites at odds of around 8/13, with England and Ireland odds of 5/1. Ireland were favorites for the 2025 tournament, but it was France who turned up when it mattered. The coveted event is currently running, looking to end on the 14th of March. Rugby is experiencing popularity and interest amongst South African sports fans, and will likely continue to in the coming years.

The World Cup starts in June 2026, but as the tournament only comes around every four years, it is the event that most sports fans look forward to the most.

Lio Messi’s Argentina beat France in a thrilling final in 2022 but Argentina are ranked fifth favorites this time. Current odds give Spain at 4/1, followed by England and France at 13/2 and Brazil 7/1.

The tournament could be Messi’s last international tournament, while Ronaldo will be 41 by the start of the tournament, so it could be the last time we get to see these iconic players take to the greatest stage.

Mbappe will be one of the favorites for the Golden Boot but there could be some surprises, so look out for some outside odds for teams expected to go far in the tournament. For example, Germany’s Woltemade has hit the ground running at new club Newcastle United and has just broken into the national team.

You can never rule out a Brazilian striker to top the goalscoring charts, as they typically score a lot of goals and Vinicius Junior could be a good bet, despite not getting as much playing time at Real Madrid as he would like.

International tournaments like the Winter Olympics are underway and the Women’s Rugby League World Cup will hit our screens towards the end of the year. Plenty of betting opportunities for South Africa based sports enthusiasts indeed.