When it comes to World Cup stats, the 2026 extravaganza is set to break a whole host of records.
The greatest football show on earth gets underway this summer and fans are eagerly awaiting what will be another captivating and fascinating tournament. And if truth be told, the 2026 edition is already a headline breaker owing to its sheer size.
BetVictor News takes a closer look at the World Cup stats for next month’s spectacle. And although a ball has yet to be kicked, there are some mind-boggling numbers that are set to make this year’s edition the greatest on record.
2026 World Cup Stats: How Many Teams Will Participate?
This year, a total of 48 nations will contest the World Cup. That is an increase of 16 teams from the usual 32 and with that, means more matches. 104 games will be played in total which is a huge increase from the 64 at Qatar 2022.
2026 World Cup Venues
There will be 16 venues hosting matches across Canada, Mexico and the USA. For context, the 2022 tournament in Qatar had just eight host stadia. After all, it is the first co-hosted World Cup to be played across three countries. And with that, supporters heading to North America will have to potentially entertain six different time zones.
2026 World Cup Betting On BetVictor
Naturally, BetVictor expect the number of bets taken on the World Cup to soar dramatically. After all, it is the biggest World Cup ever played with the highest number of competing nations. World Cup betting will easily be the most popular event customers punt on this year.
In terms of the most common markets to bet on, outright winners, World Cup top scorer odds, specials, bet boost markets and each-way markets will garner the vast majority of the attention. With 104 matches to be played between June 11-July 19, there will be far more opportunities than in previous tournaments.
2026 World Cup Expected Attendance
As far as World Cup stats go, the one that is expected to finally beat it’s USA ’94 predecessor is the overall attendance record. According to reports, around 5.4million fans will watch the 104 games in North America.
Supporters will have to cover tens of thousands of miles with the logistics behind travelling alone truly staggering. The number of flights have been increased whereby hotels have been fully booked in hosting cities since the back end of last year. Some way before that.
2026 World Cup Prize Money And Financial Outlay
Reports suggest that the World Cup prize money is set at a staggering £1.8billion. Unsurprisingly, that is more than any other tournament. In terms of the hosting costs, many news outlets suggest it was approximately £6bn across the three nations (Canada, Mexico and the USA).
Ticket costs, hotel prices and general travel cost estimations have been very well publicised. Match tickets – on average – are around the £300 mark. Hotels can and will vary extensively but many have put their prices up by around 50-75%. The same applies with train and coach companies etc.
How Many People Will Watch The 2026 World Cup?
Naturally, more people than ever will be be tuning in to the 2026 World Cup. The 2022 edition is the current record holder in terms of viewing numbers but with more games comes more viewing hours and with the tournament more accessible than ever, it is set to dwarf Qatar and Russia 2018.
In terms of the final, approximately 1.5bn watched the Argentina vs France showdown in December 2022. This year, that number could come close to the 1.8bn mark.
If you intend to bet on the 2026 World Cup, then please take the time to read through BetVictor’s safe and responsible gambling page which will provide good advice on how to stay in control when betting on football.
Any betting decisions should be made responsibly and there are no guarantees when it comes to match outcomes. Odds correct as of 3pm, April 21, 2026.
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