In the aftermath of the FIFA World Cup, which concluded with Spain's captain Rodri lifting the trophy, sportsbooks have begun to analyze valuable insights from this monumental event. The tournament, spanning 39 days, was pivotal for sports betting operators as they prepare for the newly commenced domestic seasons in European football.
Despite ongoing footballing activities, the impact of the World Cup is likely to shape betting strategies for months and potentially years.
The global scale of betting on the tournament was unprecedented. Although it’s challenging to confirm the pre-tournament estimation of $500 million wagered on each match, the event itself undoubtedly marked the largest sports betting phenomenon ever. Data from WSF Odds, a sports betting technology provider, highlights significant activity during the tournament.
During the eight months leading up to the World Cup, from October 2025 to May 2026, WSF Odds reported a turnover of €389 million and a gross gaming revenue (GGR) of €61.4 million. However, in June and July, when the World Cup captured collective attention, the turnover increased dramatically to €163.8 million, with GGR rising to €27.1 million. The average monthly turnover in those two months surpassed the previous eight months by about 68%, while the GGR saw a boost of approximately 76%. The overall margin also improved from 15.8% to 16.5%. These figures imply a robust interest but merit further exploration to understand deeper trends.
WSF Odds operates across more than 30 countries and presents a wide array of markets for 99 football competitions globally. The analysis includes data from a diverse range of operators, such as Betclic and Betsson, which informs understanding of how individual player, team, match, and goalscorer markets fared during this World Cup.
Despite the emergence of newer betting formats, traditional goalscorer markets remained a steadfast choice, increasing slightly from 28.8% of WSF Odds' turnover to 29.4% during the tournament. Filippo Celleno, a product owner at WSF Odds, noted that demand for goalscorer betting endured, as the offerings expanded to include more options focused on individual players.
Player props, another growing sector in sports betting, showed notable progress. Before the World Cup, these wagers constituted 10.4% of turnover and 15.4% of GGR. By June and July, those figures rose to 14.2% of turnover and 20.9% of GGR, with the margin reaching a healthy 24.3% during the tournament.
Team and match-related bets accounted for the majority of WSF Odds’ activity, bringing in about 44% of turnover and 36% of GGR during the same two months. Analyzing team shots generated approximately €30.8 million, whereas shots on goal accounted for €12.2 million in turnover and €2.2 million in GGR.
The World Cup’s unpredictable nature, as emphasized by WSF Odds' sales director Sam Hill, spurred interest in performance markets, which allow bettors to wager strategically beyond match outcomes. "Knockout football is difficult to predict by definition," Hill stated, underscoring how tighter match dynamics enhance engagement through additional betting options.
The tournament also highlighted the growing interest in combo markets, which combine several performance metrics. Launched shortly before the World Cup, these markets generated around €20.3 million in turnover and over €5 million in GGR, accounting for roughly 12% of total turnover and 19% of GGR.
The tournament significantly engaged casual bettors. A study by Optimove revealed that deposits from first-time bettors surged by 171% in the United States, 200% in the European Union, and 300% in Latin America during the group stage. Hill remarked that the familiarity with star players encouraged viewers to continue engaging with the sport, creating opportunities for sportsbooks to retain these new customers.
To convert this newfound interest into sustained engagement, sportsbooks need to ensure easy access to relevant markets for these casual bettors. Hill pointed out the importance of streamlining navigation so that bettors can effortlessly find player-specific options alongside their regular bets.
The World Cup has illustrated a readiness among bettors to explore markets beyond mere outcomes. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced as casual and regular fans converge on a single event. As the dust settles, the challenge remains for sports betting operators to determine whether these betting behaviors will persist in the domestic leagues, thus confirming if the World Cup left lasting habits or if bettors revert to previous trends.
In the coming months, WSF Odds plans to compare early domestic season data with World Cup activity to assess the future of player prop engagement and overall betting behavior.
