Kalshi says World Cup rush brought 3 million new users
The prediction market says Spain’s title run capped a tournament with $1.2 billion traded on its World Cup winner market.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Spain’s win over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final came with a fresh scoreline for Kalshi: 3 million new users during the tournament, according to the prediction market company.
The surge came between the June 11 kickoff and the July 19 final, Kalshi said, as the platform pushed hard into World Cup-related trading. The company also said the tournament produced its biggest single market to date by money traded.
Kalshi said more than $1.2 billion moved through its market predicting the World Cup winner. The company describes activity on the platform as “trades,” though the markets function as wagers on future outcomes.
Star power, ads and a World Cup push
Kalshi was highly visible around the tournament even though it was not an official FIFA World Cup sponsor. Its marketing included a partnership with Croatian footballer Luka Modrić, who served as a brand ambassador and appeared in a commercial for the company.
The company also had a partnership with Argentina’s national team. A branded post appeared on Lionel Messi’s Instagram account, which has more than 512 million followers, according to the platform details cited by Kalshi’s coverage.
In the U.S., a commercial featuring actor Timothée Chalamet appeared frequently during the tournament, adding another celebrity face to Kalshi’s World Cup campaign.
Kalshi’s biggest rival, Polymarket, also was not an official sponsor of the World Cup. The official prediction market partner for the 2026 tournament was ADI Predictstreet, a smaller and newer prediction market.
Kalshi still found a path into that lane. The company announced a partnership with ADI Predictstreet for co-branded advertising placements. Visitors in markets where ADI Predictstreet said it could not legally operate were shown a banner directing them to Kalshi to place trades, according to the companies’ partnership materials.
Growth comes with scrutiny
The user surge lands as prediction markets face growing criticism. Reports have cited alleged cases of illegal insider trading on prediction platforms, while critics have warned that some markets let users trade on subjects where financial incentives could create harmful outcomes.
Gambling addiction is also a major concern around betting products, and sports betting is heavily regulated in part because gambling can become addictive, according to public health research cited in coverage of the sector.
Some U.S. states have taken a sharper line against sports-related trading on prediction markets. Those states have argued in court that platforms offering sports markets are operating illegal sports betting businesses, according to CNBC reporting on the legal fights.
Kalshi’s World Cup numbers show how quickly these platforms can grow around global events. The company says one month of football delivered millions of new accounts and a record market, while the legal and regulatory fight over what prediction markets are allowed to offer continues.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.