Altenar data shows bet builders took 40 percent of World Cup singles

Betting on the 2026 World Cup shifted in ways that sportsbook providers are now quantifying. Altenar, which tracked activity across all 104 matches of the tournament, found that bet builders accounted for 39.6 percent of all singles bets placed during the competition, up from 20.28 percent at UEFA Euro 2024.

The pattern held across the group stage before accelerating as the knockout rounds began. Average stake sizes moved from roughly three to five euros during the group phase to between ten and thirteen euros by the quarter-finals and beyond, suggesting bettors grew more confident, or more committed, as the field narrowed.

Player markets followed a similar trajectory. Turnover in Player Special markets reached approximately four times the level recorded at Euro 2024, driven by the concentration of betting interest around a small number of high-profile names.

Altenar's account management director Thanos Ntakis attributed the shift partly to infrastructure, noting that the ability to support a broad range of markets and respond to changing trends gave operators room to capture demand as it moved through the tournament stages.