Prediction market startup Kalshi scored great goals during the 2026 Fifa World Cup, nearly doubling its users’ estimated traffic and business volume as fans scramble to turn their soccer knowledge into profit.
Kalshi recorded US$27 billion in business volume and saw about three million users during the tournament, a source familiar with the matter said. The competition continued its expanded 48-team format this year and became the most profitable in Fifa’s history.
The source said that the launch expected an amount of 13 billion US dollars and about 1.5 million users during the championship that opened at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico and ended in New Jersey, where Spain defeated the defending champions of Lionel Messi, Argentina and lifted the trophy for the second time.
Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket let people wait for the results of events like sports and elections and have gained popularity since the 2024 presidential election.
The tournament numbers bring Kalshi into the widest range of event contracts, although it has been in conflict with state regulators over betting laws.
Kalshi will begin taking bets on the results of clinical trials and FDA regulatory reviews, it said earlier this month, making potential drug development public for the first time.
