Kalshi attracted 3 million new users during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Trading activity reached record levels as prediction markets gained significant attention throughout the tournament.
According to CNBC, more than US$1.2 billion was traded on Kalshi’s market predicting the tournament winner. This made it the largest single market in the platform’s history. Trading concluded after Spain defeated Argentina in the World Cup final.
World Cup Drives Record Trading Activity
The global popularity of the FIFA World Cup helped fuel unprecedented participation on Kalshi’s prediction markets.
The platform experienced a surge in user registrations and trading volume as bettors and market participants followed the tournament. This highlighted the growing interest in event-based prediction markets tied to major sporting events.
Marketing Campaigns Expand Brand Reach
Kalshi supported its World Cup campaign through a series of high-profile partnerships and marketing initiatives.
The company collaborated with ADI Predictstreet, the tournament’s official prediction market sponsor, on stadium advertising. It also partnered with OpenAI to display Kalshi’s probability data for selected World Cup match searches within ChatGPT.
Additional campaigns featured football stars Luka Modrić and José Mourinho. Meanwhile, a partnership with the Argentina national team resulted in a social media mention from Lionel Messi. Kalshi also broadened its audience through campaigns featuring actor Timothée Chalamet and singer J Balvin.
Regulatory Debate Continues
Despite its rapid growth, Kalshi continues to face legal and regulatory challenges over sports event contracts.
Several U.S. states argue that the contracts function as sports betting and should be regulated under state gambling laws. Kalshi maintains that its prediction markets fall under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which regulates derivatives and event contracts.
As the World Cup concludes, the company will focus on retaining its newly acquired users. It will also continue to expand participation in prediction markets beyond major sporting events.
