The 2026 FIFA World Cup generated the largest volume of sports betting activity in US history, multiple operators reported, with unprecedented wagering across the 48-team, 104-match tournament held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
DraftKings Director of Race & Sports Operations Johnny Avello told Casino.org, midway through the event, that handle was tracking well past internal projections.
“The soccer tournament has been something special, I tell you,” Avello 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.“
The expanded format created additional live-betting opportunities, aided by kickoff times suited to North American audiences.
“A home-nation World Cup brought high expectations for engagement and interest,” said Caesars Sportsbook Head of Soccer Mark Bickerdike. “Thankfully, the tournament exceeded even our most optimistic projections, and we saw strong participation across futures, event markets, and our same game parlay product.”
A final for the books
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in overtime at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 to claim the title, with Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute after a scoreless 90 minutes.
Bettors favored Argentina in both the three-way moneyline and the “To Lift the Trophy” market, pre-match and in-play, according to Bickerdike.
“A 0-0 draw through regulation time meant it was a good day for the book,” he said. “There were also plenty of tickets written on Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal to score, resulting in positive outcomes across our straight-bet markets and same-game parlay product.”
Ahead of the match, Bickerdike had told Fox Sports overtime was the book’s preferred outcome. “Let’s see 120 minutes on that clock,” he said, adding that Caesars also wanted Spain to win.
The final produced the biggest soccer betting event in Caesars Sportsbook history, with total handle finishing nearly 65% higher than the operator’s previous record game, Bickerdike said. Messi Anytime Goalscorer was the most-bet same-game parlay leg the operator has recorded on a soccer match.
At BetMGM, Spain’s win favored the public, as the team was the most-backed to lift the trophy heading into the tournament, Senior Trading Manager Christian Cipollini said.
The Spain-Argentina final became the most-bet soccer match in company history in both tickets and handle. The five most-ticketed matches were the final, USA-Belgium in the Round of 16, England-Norway in the quarterfinals, England-Mexico in the Round of 16, and the England-Argentina semifinal.
BetMGM reported that the final drew more bets than every 2025 World Series game, every 2026 NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final game, every 2026 March Madness matchup, and every College Football Playoff game except the Indiana-Miami national championship.
Hard Rock Bet Senior Vice President of Sportsbook Neil Walsh said internal data placed the tournament among the largest betting events in US history even before the final kicked off.
“We’re talking the equivalent of 10 Super Bowls,” Walsh said. “A sport we were once told Americans would not embrace turned into one for the history books. The whole country wanted in.”
Books win the futures market
Argentina’s runner-up finish also benefited operators in futures markets, where the team carried a larger liability than eventual champion Spain, Fox Sports reported.
“The futures were good. A great end to a very profitable World Cup,” said Circa Sports Director of Operations Jeff Benson. Bickerdike noted Spain was Caesars’ second-most-wagered team to win outright.
SuperBook Vice President John Murray told Fox Sports the combination of the scoreless regulation draw and Spain’s extra-time goal represented close to an ideal outcome.
“That was about our best-case scenario, factoring in the game result, props, futures, etc.,” Murray said. “It was a very good finish to the tournament for us.”
Once the tournament concluded, Avello told Fox Sports the final capped a heavily wagered event overall.
“The tournament is over, but we haven’t come down from our month-long high on World Cup soccer,” he said. “The biggest event of the year had its peaks and valleys. But overall, wow!”
Big bets and bigger paydays
Individual wagers included a $1.5 million bet on Argentina attributed to Drake, and a $250,000 wager placed June 17 at DraftKings on Argentina at +850 odds to win the tournament, which would have paid $2.125 million had it succeeded.
On Polymarket, one customer placed $1.55 million against the final ending 3-2 in Argentina’s favor, netting $44,772 in profit, while another wagered $318,255 that Messi would not score twice against Spain, profiting $29,337.
A FanDuel customer built a $2.01, six-leg parlay in February combining NBA, NHL, and World Cup futures at odds of +441718, and accepted a $4,434.27 cashout once Spain was the only leg left.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/07/21/125483-us-sportsbooks-call-2026-world-cup-the-biggest-betting-event-ever-after-record-final-handle
