2026 World Cup Is Breaking Sports Betting Records and the Knockout Stage Has Not Even Started

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is already the most-bet sporting event in history, with global wagers projected to top $50 billion before the knockout rounds begin. FanDuel and DraftKings have both confirmed all-time highs for soccer betting volume and active customers, and analysts across Deutsche Bank and Macquarie are projecting U.S. handle for the tournament will nearly double what the Super Bowl generated this year.

The expanded 48-nation, 104-match format has created a wagering environment unlike anything the industry has seen. More matches, more simultaneous kick-offs, and the home-field advantage of the U.S. as a co-host have all contributed to betting volume that has shattered records at every major operator. The 2022 Qatar edition generated $35 billion in global wagers. The 2026 edition is forecast to blow well past $50 billion before it is over.

DraftKings and FanDuel See Best-Ever Soccer Numbers

The first evidence of just how different this tournament is came in the opening group stage matches. The U.S. and Brazil openers were FanDuel’s two highest-activity soccer matches in company history by active customers. DraftKings reported those same two games as the largest events in its Sportsbook history for both handle and active customer volume. Deutsche Bank projects U.S. handle alone to hit $3.3 billion, led by FanDuel and DraftKings, with the figure expected to nearly double what the Super Bowl generated in projected wagers. For bettors looking to get in on the knockout rounds, now is the time to check the current DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code.

Flutter Entertainment, FanDuel’s parent, put it plainly: the company expects the World Cup to be “the biggest betting event of all time.” Flutter says it will serve approximately 10 million customers across its platforms, with traffic peaking at 100,000 wagers per minute during key matches. On a handle basis, DraftKings has already confirmed a 5x increase over the same point in the 2022 Qatar edition.

Why This World Cup Is Different for Bettors

Several structural factors explain the scale of the betting surge. The expansion to 48 teams means 104 total matches — up from 64 in 2022 — giving sportsbooks more wagering events over a longer tournament window. The U.S., Canada, and Mexico co-hosting means favorable evening kickoff times for American bettors rather than the early-morning or late-night windows that Qatar imposed. And the U.S. betting market is simply much bigger than it was four years ago: approximately 65% of Americans now have legal access to sports betting, compared to roughly 40% at the time of the last World Cup.

That expanded legal access means tens of millions more Americans can legally participate through platforms like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars. For bettors in states that have not yet legalized sports betting, BetMGM’s promo code offers are available in over 20 regulated states covering the majority of the U.S. population. The combination of more teams, more matches, better time zones, and broader legal access created the perfect conditions for a record-shattering event.

Prediction Markets Add Another Layer of Volume

The surge is not limited to traditional sportsbooks. Prediction market platforms have also reported extraordinary World Cup activity. Kalshi and Polymarket have seen a 13% week-over-week increase in trading volume that reached $7 billion. One platform reported a 3x increase in first-time customers and an 87% rise in trading volume since the tournament started. For bettors in states where sportsbooks remain unavailable, these federally regulated platforms offer a legal alternative for wagering on match outcomes and tournament futures.

International operators are seeing record numbers as well. England’s 4-2 win over Croatia was William Hill’s biggest betting event to date. Across Flutter’s global portfolio, the opening matches for Mexico, Brazil, and France ranked among the largest events the company has ever processed. Flutter confirmed it expects staking to be “at least double” Qatar’s figures across all platforms. With the knockout rounds not yet underway and 32 teams still competing, the records set so far will almost certainly be surpassed before the final whistle in July.