The 2026 FIFA World Cup hasn’t kicked a single ball yet, and it’s already reshaping the intersection of sports and crypto. With the group stage draw scheduled for December 5, 2025, and the tournament itself set to begin on June 11, 2026, the expanded 48-team format is drawing attention far beyond the pitch.
NBC’s Steve Kornacki, the network’s chief data analyst best known for breaking down election maps, has turned his attention to World Cup matchups and long-shot contenders.
Prediction markets are having their World Cup moment
Pre-tournament betting volume across prediction markets has been estimated at roughly $2 billion.
Polymarket, the decentralized prediction platform that became a household name during the 2024 US election cycle, is among the platforms facilitating World Cup betting activity. The tournament’s expanded format, which adds 16 teams compared to the previous 32-team structure, creates more games, more matchups, and critically, more markets to trade.
