Jude Bellingham just did something at the Estadio Azteca that most footballers only dream about. Two goals in two minutes, a hostile crowd silenced, and England through to the World Cup quarterfinals. The 2-0 demolition of Mexico on July 5 wasn’t just a sporting moment. It was a catalyst for the prediction market and sports betting sectors of crypto, which have been experiencing their biggest volume spikes of the year.
Bellingham’s first goal arrived in the 36th minute, a header off a Bukayo Saka cross. His second came just 120 seconds later, assisted by Harry Kane. In English: the 23-year-old Real Madrid midfielder essentially ended a World Cup knockout tie in the span of a bathroom break.
The crypto angle you didn’t see coming
FIFA 2026, co-hosted across North America, has become the single largest driver of activity on blockchain-based prediction markets since the 2024 US presidential election.
Platforms like Polymarket and Azuro Protocol have seen prediction market volumes tied to World Cup outcomes climb dramatically throughout the tournament. Every knockout round match concentrates liquidity into binary outcomes, and England vs. Mexico was one of the most heavily traded fixtures of the Round of 16.
