2026 World Cup Shatters Sportsbook Betting Records Across the U.S.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will go down as the biggest soccer betting event ever, particularly in the United States, according to early feedback from sportsbooks.

Johnny Avello, DraftKings director of race & sports operations, knew it was heading this way back on July 1, talking to Casino.org. The tournament kicked off June 11.

World Cup Exceeds Expectations

“The soccer tournament has been something special, I tell you,” he said. “The handle has been way over expectations. I think it’s going to be bigger than March Madness, when all is said and done.”

At the start, 48 teams launched the World Cup, with 104 matches (72 group-stage matches, 32 knockout-stage matches) played across three countries – Mexico, the U.S., and Canada – through to the final yesterday (July 19) at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with Spain defeating Argentina 1-0.

Live betting exploded, thanks to favorable kickoff times across North America, with that expanded format creating more betting opportunities compared to the previous 64-match tournament. 

Expanded Format Boosts Betting

“A home-nation World Cup brought high expectations for engagement and interest,” said Mark Bickerdike, head of soccer at Caesars Sportsbook. “Thankfully, the tournament exceeded even our most optimistic projections, and we saw strong participation across Futures, event markets, and our Same Game Parlay product. 

“There was some uncertainty around the impact of an extended tournament format, but World Cup fever took hold following the United States Men’s National Team’s promising start, and that enthusiasm continued throughout the knockout stages and into the final.”

Caesars Sets New Records

The final on Sunday delivered the biggest soccer betting event in Caesars Sportsbook history, he added. 

“Interest was off the charts before kickoff, with pre-match wagering already surpassing our previous tournament record,” he said.

Spain dominated possession and created most meaningful chances in a physical game.

Final Delivers Massive Handle

The 0-0 draw through regulation time was a good day for the book, Bickerdike added. Bettors favored Argentina in both the Match Betting and To Lift The Trophy markets, pre-match and in-play. There were also plenty of tickets written on Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal scoring, resulting in positive outcomes across both the straight markets and Same Game Parlay product.

“By the final whistle, the match had set new Caesars Sportsbook records for total handle, total wagers and unique bettors,” he said. “Handle finished nearly 65 percent higher than our previous record game, underscoring the extraordinary interest in soccer’s biggest match and the incredible momentum we saw throughout the tournament.”

Messi Props Attract Bettors

Messi Anytime Goalscorer was the most-bet Same Game Parlay leg that Caesars Sportsbook has ever had on a soccer match.

Over at BetMGM, Spain winning the World Cup was a great result for bettors. La Roja was the most-bet team to lift the trophy before the tournament began, with continued action through the stages, said Christian Cipollini, senior trading manager, BetMGM.

“The 2026 World Cup was record-breaking at BetMGM on many fronts, including the Spain-Argentina Final being the most bet (tickets and handle) soccer match ever in company history,” he said.

BetMGM Reports Historic Action

Most-bet (tickets) World Cup matches were the Spain-Argentina final, USA-Belgium Round of 16, England-Norway quarterfinals, England-Mexico Round of 16, and England-Argentina semifinal.

Cipollini said there were more bets placed on the Spain-Argentina final than all Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals games, all Hurricanes-Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final games, all College Football Playoff games in 2026 other than the Indiana-Miami final, all 2026 NCAA Tournament games, and all Dodgers-Blue Jays 2025 World Series games.

Ten Super Bowls

Ahead of Sunday’s final, internal data from Hard Rock Bet revealed that the tournament was set to become the biggest betting event in U.S. history.

“We’re talking the equivalent of ten Super Bowls,” said Neil Walsh, senior vice president of Hard Rock Bet, on Saturday. “A sport we were once told Americans would not embrace turned into one for the history books. The whole country wanted in.”