DATA.BET has released an analysis of betting patterns during the FIFA World Cup 2026, which became a historic event with a staggering 6.8 million attendees across 104 matches held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Overall, pre-match betting constituted 63% of the total turnover, with live markets holding a consistent 37% share throughout the six-week tournament. This division remained stable, regardless of the match stage or teams involved.
Statistical markets carved out a significant niche, representing over 11% of total turnover, underscoring their relevance alongside traditional betting options. The Corners Total market emerged as the standout statistical bet, ranking 10th in total stakes, while core markets such as match outcome and totals dominated the scene.
Bettors delved into Bet Builder options, frequently creating detailed combinations that included Corners, Yellow Cards, Team Totals, and Anytime Goalscorer bets. This latter market benefited from the impressive performances of players like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane.
At the team level, France led in total stakes, followed by Spain, Argentina, England, and Belgium. Collectively, these five nations accounted for 36.5% of the total stakes, reflecting their significant popularity among bettors.
Unexpected betting shifts also came from underdog teams. Cape Verde surprised many during the group stages, while Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah, gave Argentina a tough challenge in the Round of 16, which drew considerable global attention and heightened betting activity.
Yevhenii Ilchenko, Head of Sports at DATA.BET, stated, "The scale wasn't just visible on the pitch — it showed in our numbers too. The combined betting turnover of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major 2026 was split 58.5% to 41.5% in favor of the World Cup."
As the tournament progressed, betting activity ramped up. Although the group stage featured more matches and generated over 33% more bets than the knockout phase, both stages delivered similar turnover and attracted nearly the same number of unique bettors. This indicated that fewer, high-stakes matches in the knockout stage held equal weight to the more numerous group games. Additionally, the average stake during the knockout phase was 28% greater than during the group stage, with momentum building towards the Semi-finals and Final, which recorded the highest turnover of the competition.
Ilchenko commented, "What made this World Cup stand out wasn’t one number — it was how consistently engaged bettors stayed for six straight weeks, till the final.
