Flutter counts 180 million World Cup bets

• Flutter Entertainment estimates its global sportsbook brands took around 180 million bets during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including 350,000 outright wagers on champions Spain.
• Cape Verde’s run to the round of 32 created a liability worth tens of millions for Paddy Power, driven largely by Irish bettors backing defender Pico Lopes.
• Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot outright with 10 goals, edging Lionel Messi, who topped Flutter’s player prop markets in his final World Cup.

Flutter Entertainment has wrapped up its coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reporting an estimated 180 million bets placed by customers across its global brands over the tournament’s 39 days.

The final between Spain and Argentina, won 1-0 by Spain after extra time, ranked as the single biggest betting event of the tournament by both staking and revenue, drawing 350,000 outright wagers on the eventual champions.

Underdogs make history

The expanded 48-team format, up from 32 in 2022, sparked concerns the tournament would be diluted. Instead, several underdogs delivered. Australia beat a fancied Turkish side 2-0, New Zealand came from behind twice to draw with Iran, and Scotland won its first finals match this century, against Haiti.

No underdog captured attention like Cape Verde. Ranked 67th in the world before the tournament, the Blue Sharks drew with Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and finalists Spain to exit their group unbeaten, then pushed Argentina to extra time before losing 3-2.

Flutter had priced more than 1,200 players across all 48 squads ahead of kickoff, an approach detailed in its underdog pricing playbook.

Defender Pico Lopes, born in Dublin to a Cape Verdean father, became a cult figure in Ireland. Backing from Irish bettors made his side’s progress a liability worth tens of millions for Paddy Power.

All three co-hosts, Mexico, Canada and the United States, also advanced beyond the group stage. By staking, the final ranked highest, the semi-final between Argentina and England was second, and their meeting between Norway and England came third.

Records fall for the stars

Mbappé finished the tournament as its outright Golden Boot winner, scoring twice in France’s 6-4 third-place playoff defeat to England to reach 10 goals and edge past Messi, who closed his final World Cup on eight after a goalless showing in the final.

Messi still set records of his own, playing more World Cup matches, 34, than anyone in history and becoming the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick.

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in six consecutive World Cups. Spain’s goalkeeper saw a 650-minute run without conceding ended by Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere, and Kane passed Gary Lineker as England’s all-time leading World Cup scorer.

Younger players also drew heavy interest. Lamine Yamal, 19, and teammate Pau Cubarsí, who won the tournament’s Young Player award, became the fourth and fifth teenagers to feature in a World Cup final.

Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi and Norway’s Andreas Schjelderup also emerged as breakout names. Across Flutter’s brands, Messi drew the most player prop bets, followed by Mbappé and Kane.

A bigger tournament ahead

The scale of betting activity generated during the World Cup extended well beyond Flutter.

Supplier OpenBet separately reported a record $3 billion World Cup handle across its partner sportsbooks. Prediction markets also carved out a meaningful share of overall volume, with Kalshi outpacing traditional sportsbooks on pricing in the United States.

Rumors are already circulating that the 2030 World Cup, co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain with early matches in South America, could expand again to 64 teams.

A field that size would push operators to price even more players and matches, testing the kind of rapid market-building Flutter applied when it migrated Betnacional onto its trading platform ahead of this year’s tournament.