2026 World Cup: US Betting Analysis
by Tyler Doty
US Sports Betting: Projected Figures for the 2026 World Cup
The World Cup is a huge event for US sportsbooks. It is undoubtedly one of the tournaments that attracts the largest number of bettors and wagers. Here are the projected figures for the 2026 tournament.
Hosted in the US, Mexico, and Canada, the 2026 World Cup is the biggest ever, featuring more teams than ever before, and is expected to break records in terms of sports betting handle.
In the US, for example, an estimated 563,000 new accounts are expected to be opened, with $1.68 billion in bets placed throughout the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup is indeed the perfect opportunity to open an account with the best sportsbooks on the market, with great bonuses up for grabs.
More than 500,000 new accounts expected?
2026 is a special time for the World Cup and new account sign-ups, given that more states than ever have legalized online betting, with 39 states allowing sports betting in some form.
According to our estimates, 563,000 new registrations across sportsbooks in the US are expected throughout the tournament.
The current total of 40 million active players already registered will undoubtedly increase across the 39 legal betting states, especially in big soccer betting states like New York, Illinois, and New Jersey, which are already at the forefront of betting handle nationwide.
We’ll wrap up with a second record that’s expected to be broken: while the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was a great start for soccer bettors in the US, this time, $1.68 billion is expected for 2026! The home-soil surge is expected to bring a 10% increase in sports betting handle for US sportsbooks during this tournament!
These very high figures confirm the importance of the World Cup for sportsbooks and also demonstrate that the sports betting industry is becoming increasingly significant among American discretionary spending.
The Profile of the American Bettor
Unsurprisingly, and in line with figures from recent years, the majority of US bettors are men (30% are women).
In the US, football reigns supreme with over 60% of all wagers being placed on the NFL alone. Soccer lags far behind and typically accounts for just 5% of handle on a normal year. With the World Cup coming to the US, 2026 is expected to be anything but normal. We’re likely to see a significant increase in total handle for soccer wagers in 2026.
A quick note on bettor age, the average US online sports bettor skews younger when compared to international markets, with most bettors falling in the 18 to 34 age bracket.
One final interesting figure is the average stake per bet, which is between $10 and $25. A figure that has increased over time since the 2018 PASPA ruling. During a tournament like the World Cup, this figure also tends to rise compared to bets placed throughout the rest of the year.
Who do American bettors think will win the World Cup?
As much as US bettors would love to see their home team succeed in the World Cup, most are aware of the reality that the USMNT isn’t quite at the same level as the top teams of the tournament.
While our 2026 World Cup prediction currently has France winning it all, US bettors are mostly torn between France and Spain for the tournament favorite. At FanDuel, for example, a French victory bet accounts for 13% of the current tournament handle, while Spain sits at 13.4%, it’s neck and neck!
While Spain and France are at the top of bettors' tournament favorite picks, a significant portion of bettors are also backing England and Portugal's victories. Wagers on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal to go all the way account for 10% of all World Cup futures. And since there are no coincidences, our experts are predicting a France-Portugal final for the 2026 World Cup, based on the provisional schedule released yesterday...
As for the tournament’s top scorer, Kylian Mbappé is the clear favorite for the Golden Boot based on bets placed in the US: current odds have the French striker sitting around +600 to take the top scorer prize. So, a little parlay of France winning the 2026 World Cup with Kylian Mbappé as the tournament’s top scorer, where do we sign up?
