The next World Cup is going to feel different. The new format promises a bigger, louder tournament that will be stretched across three countries that live and breathe football in their own ways. But as the games unfold from Los Angeles to Toronto to Mexico City, another story will run quietly in the background and that is who gets to play along off the pitch. Betting has become part of how fans experience football, but not everyone will have the same access when the ball starts rolling in 2026.
Three Hosts, Three Systems
The United States is still figuring itself out. Since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that opened the door to sports betting, the country has become a patchwork of laws and permissions. Some states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Nevada, are wide open. Others still block it entirely. So while one fan might place a bet from their phone before kickoff, another a few states away might not even have that option.
Canada isn’t much simpler. Single-event betting only became legal a few years ago, and each province runs its own show. Some have sleek online sportsbooks; others rely on old-school government platforms that still feel halfway between a lottery and a website. Mexico, on the other hand, has been here for years. Betting there isn’t new and it’s part of the sports life, from football to boxing.
It means that in a tournament hosted by three neighbors, fans will experience three completely different betting realities.
The World Beyond North America
Elsewhere, the landscape is just as uneven. In Europe, betting is already part of football’s daily language. Odds flash under pundits’ faces, teams wear sponsor logos, and fans talk about “value” the way they once talked about tactics. In large parts of Africa and Asia, betting has exploded through mobile apps with Betway malawi, sometimes faster than regulation can keep up. So while the World Cup will unite fans through one schedule and one ball, the right to bet on it still depends on your country, your laws, and sometimes your postcode.
Technology Always Finds a Way
Of course, the internet doesn’t care about borders. By 2026, fans will have more ways than ever to engage with matches in real time and not just betting, but predicting, competing, joining pools with friends. Legal or not, the appetite won’t go away. Betting has become part of fandom’s language and it is a way to feel invested, to make a dull group-stage game matter just a little more.
The challenge isn’t access anymore; it’s responsibility. Regulators are learning that blocking doesn’t work. Instead, countries are shifting focus toward safe participation like verified accounts, spending limits, clearer rules about who can advertise. It’s about balance now, not control.
The global football vibe
So will everyone around the world be able to bet on the 2026 World Cup? Not quite. But almost everyone will find a way to feel involved. Some through local sportsbooks, others through prediction contests or global betting apps that tailor themselves to local laws.
The bigger truth is that betting has quietly become part of how people watch football, which is not just to win money, but to test instinct, to feel a bit of control in a game that always surprises you. The 2026 World Cup will be full of that feeling. Ninety minutes, one chance, one moment that flips everything to both on the field and off it. Some will watch. Some will bet.
