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The FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, is projected to shatter all previous betting records for a single sporting event, as reported by CNBC.
The 2026 World Cup kicks off tonight at 10:00 PM with the match between Mexico and South Africa at the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The tournament will run for nearly six weeks, culminating in the final on July 19th in New Jersey.
This edition of the tournament will feature a record 48 teams and an unprecedented 104 matches, marking an increase of 40 games compared to the previous format.
Chad Beynon, an analyst at leading global financial services firm Macquarie Group Limited, forecasts that the total betting turnover during the World Cup will reach an astounding $50 billion. This represents a significant jump from the previous record set at the Qatar World Cup four years ago, where bookmakers generated approximately $35.5 billion in wagers.
Football continues to reign as the world's most popular sport, and the World Cup stands as the most-watched global event. The Qatar 2022 tournament drew a cumulative television audience of 5 billion people, with the final match between Argentina and France alone attracting 1.5 billion viewers.
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