DATA.BET, a recognized supplier of sportsbook solutions, has conducted a thorough analysis of the betting patterns during the FIFA World Cup 2026, which marked one of the most attended football tournaments in history. Across 104 matches hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the event attracted a staggering 6.8 million attendees.
In terms of betting, pre-match activities constituted 63% of the total turnover, while live markets retained a consistent 37% throughout the duration of the tournament. This balance remained stable across the six weeks, irrespective of different match stages or competing teams.
Statistical markets played a significant role, accounting for over 11% of the overall turnover, with Corners Total emerging as the leading statistical market, ranking as the 10th most popular by stake. This occurred amidst the strong performance of core betting options like the 1×2 market and Totals.
Bettors increasingly took advantage of the Bet Builder feature, which enabled them to create varied combinations such as Corners, Yellow Cards, and Team Totals alongside Anytime Goalscorer bets, driven by standout performances from players like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane.
On a team basis, France attracted the highest betting stakes, followed closely by Spain, Argentina, England, and Belgium. Collectively, these top five teams accounted for 36.5% of all stakes, reflecting their strong betting appeal throughout the tournament.
Notably, the tournament saw unexpected twists in betting trends from less traditional contenders. Cape Verde surprised many during the group stage, while Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah, came close to defeating Argentina in the Round of 16, prompting a notable increase in betting interest as their journey continued.
Yevhenii Ilchenko, Head of Sports at DATA.BET, commented on the findings: "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 advanced, betting activity increased. Although the group stage featured more matches, yielding over 33% more bets than the knockout rounds, the turnover remained almost unchanged, indicating that the fewer matches in the play-off rounds attracted a comparable number of unique bettors. This trend was further emphasized at the individual betting level, where the average stake during the knockout stage was 28% higher than in the group stage. This intensity culminated in the Semi-finals and Final, which saw the highest turnover of the entire competition.
Ilchenko added, "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.
