The 2026 FIFA World Cup isn’t just winning over fans on the field. It’s also becoming a true phenomenon for the sports betting industry, where operators and analysts say the tournament is on track to set unprecedented records.
The combination seems perfect: the tournament is being held in North America, the matches are played at ideal times for U.S. audiences, and the U.S. national team has gotten off to a start that has sparked enthusiasm among millions of fans.
Interest Exceeds All Expectations
Major bookmakers agree that the World Cup is generating more economic activity than expected.
Mark Bickerdike, head of soccer betting at Caesars Sportsbook, said that the money wagered has exceeded initial projections thanks to the tournament’s massive following.
For his part, Johnny Avello, director of DraftKings Sportsbook, noted that the World Cup is already rivaling the traditional March Madness of U.S. college basketball—considered one of the most important sporting events for the industry—in terms of betting volume.
Avello even believes that by the time the tournament ends, it could become the event with the highest betting volume of the entire year, surpassing even the Super Bowl.
The United States: The Market’s Driving Force
The U.S. team’s performance has been key to sparking this surge in interest.
After winning its first two matches and advancing decisively to the knockout stage, the team led by Mauricio Pochettino has sparked a veritable frenzy among bettors.
Christian Cipollini, operations manager at BetMGM Sportsbook, said that the U.S. match against Bosnia-Herzegovina could become the soccer game with the highest betting volume in the platform’s history.
As he explained, the U.S. team has been the focus of the three most heavily bet-on matches of the tournament so far.
France and Argentina Remain the Favorites
Although the United States is capturing much of the attention, major bookmakers still consider France the top contender to win the 2026 World Cup.
The team led by Kylian Mbappé is slightly ahead of Argentina, the reigning world champion led by Lionel Messi.
Both teams are on opposite sides of the knockout bracket, so they could only face each other in a hypothetical final, reenacting the historic showdown they had at Qatar 2022.
However, some analysts believe the field remains wide open.
Expert Bruce Marshall noted that there are at least seven or eight teams with a real chance of lifting the trophy, so he considers it risky to bet solely on the heavy favorites.
Colombia and Switzerland emerge as dark horse picks
As is the case at every World Cup, many fans prefer to look for the tournament’s so-called “dark horse.”
Among the teams drawing the most attention from experts are Colombia and Switzerland—teams offering high odds that could emerge as unexpected contenders.
Marshall highlighted Colombia’s strong form and Switzerland’s solid team play, noting that the Swiss squad is built around a core of players who have spent many years playing together.
The United States is also a concern… for the bookmakers
Paradoxically, one of the scenarios least desired by bookmakers would be for the United States to lift the trophy.
The team’s strong performance has led thousands of fans to start betting on a historic upset, significantly lowering the odds that were offered before the tournament.
At BetMGM, for example, the odds on the United States to win the title have shifted from 50-1 to 25-1, reflecting the public’s growing confidence.
If the U.S. team manages to win the World Cup, several companies in the industry would have to pay out significant sums in winnings.
The Simpsons Also Influence Betting
World Cup fever has even reached popular culture.
An episode of *The Simpsons* aired in 1997, featuring a match between Mexico and Portugal, began to go viral on social media after both teams were drawn together in the 2026 World Cup.
Although the episode never mentions the tournament or refers to the year 2026, many fans interpreted the coincidence as a supposed prediction.
The result was an unexpected surge in bets related to that match, demonstrating that, during a World Cup, even fiction can influence bettors’ behavior.
With the knockout stage already underway and matches intensifying, all signs point to the 2026 World Cup continuing to break records, both on the field and in the multibillion-dollar sports betting industry.
