FIFA World Cup 2026 Is Set to Become a Record-Breaking Betting Tournament
Flutter Entertainment believes FIFA World Cup 2026 could become the biggest soccer event in history not only in terms of tournament scale, but also in betting volume. According to PokerStrategy, based on research from H2 Gambling Capital, total World Cup betting handle could approach $60 billion.
For comparison, that is 71% higher than the 2022 tournament and 185% above the figures for the 2018 World Cup. The gap is huge, but it does not look accidental: the next World Cup will be different in almost every respect.
FIFA World Cup 2026 will run from June 11 to July 19, become the longest World Cup in history, and feature 48 national teams for the first time. Instead of the familiar format, fans will get 104 matches, and for the betting market that means more events, more betting lines, more live betting, and more reasons to come back to the tournament every day.
North America Could Generate Nearly $6 Billion in Bets
The market in the host countries is especially interesting. Forecasts suggest that nearly $6 billion of the total handle will come from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For North America, this is not just a major soccer tournament, but a test of how far legal betting has advanced since the 2022 World Cup.
Flutter notes that the expansion of regulated sports betting markets in the region is already changing the picture. Since the last World Cup, new U.S. states have opened legal markets, which means more users now have the option to place bets officially rather than through grey-market sites.
At the same time, the United States is expected to account for the smallest betting share among the three host countries. That may sound strange if you look only at the size of the market, but soccer in the U.S. still competes with the NFL, NBA, MLB, and other sports that are more familiar to local audiences. On the other hand, this is exactly where the biggest room for growth remains.
Why FIFA World Cup 2026 Could Break Records
The main driver behind the forecast is a combination of three factors: the expanded format, a longer calendar, and the growth of the soccer audience in North America. More matches mean more betting windows for sportsbooks. The longer the tournament lasts, the greater the chance that not only hardcore bettors will get involved, but also viewers who usually bet only on major events.
If the $60 billion forecast proves accurate, FIFA World Cup 2026 will be more than just the largest tournament in soccer history. It could cement the World Cup as the premier event for global betting, with North America no longer on the margins, but at the centre of the story.
Michael Turner is a sports presenter at CasinosInCanada who covers major sporting events and sports-related insights for readers.
