Prediction market platform Kalshi has added 3 million new users during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, underscoring how one of the world's biggest sporting events has become a powerful growth engine for event-based trading.
The company said that more than $1.2 billion has been traded on its World Cup winner contracts, making it the largest single prediction market in Kalshi's history. The market will close after Sunday's final between Spain and Argentina.
CNBC reported that Vijay Viswanathan, associate dean of integrated marketing communications at Northwestern University said that the World Cup is unlike any other sporting event in terms of global reach. Referring to football, he said it is played in about every country in the world, making the tournament unmatched in terms of its total addressable audience.
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Kalshi used the tournament to aggressively expand its brand presence. The company partnered with ADI Predictstreet, the FIFA World Cup's official prediction market sponsor, to run co-branded advertising inside stadiums. It also teamed up with OpenAI to display Kalshi's contract odds in ChatGPT searches related to World Cup matches.
The marketing push extended beyond digital partnerships. Kalshi featured campaigns with Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, former Real Madrid manager José Mourinho and Argentina's national football team. The company also gained visibility after football icon Lionel Messi featured the partnership in an Instagram post.
CNBC reported that Kalshi Chief Executive Officer Tarek Mansour said that the most important thing is enable creativity based on what's happening.
"Our volumes are where the news is at," Tarek Mansour further added.
Mansour said speed has been central to the company's strategy, noting that one advertisement featuring former football stars was conceived, produced and released within 24 hours. Kalshi also broadened its appeal beyond football fans by launching campaigns featuring actor Timothée Chalamet and Colombian singer J Balvin.
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The rapid growth comes even as sports event contracts remain under legal scrutiny in the US. Several states argue such contracts amount to sports betting, while Kalshi maintains that prediction markets fall under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Mansour dismissed concerns, arguing opposition largely comes from established gambling operators. Looking beyond the World Cup, he expressed confidence that news-driven events will continue to fuel trading activity.
"You have to believe there's not going to be any news after Sunday," Mansour said. "The more probable thing is that there's going to be a bunch of things going on in the world, and Kalshi's going to be there to service it."
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