The 2022 World Cup
The 2022 Qatar World Cup can arguably be one of the most entertaining and surprising tournaments ever.
From the shock of Germany and Belgium being eliminated in the Group Stage to Morocco’s shocking run to the semi-finals, and even the Brazilian upset to Croatia, this tournament had everything.
To top it all, the final between France and Argentina, viewed by an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide, was one of the most spectacular sporting matches ever to be played. The final had more bets in the US than even the final games of March Madness and the NBA finals, with only the Super Bowl being ahead.
The Growth in America
It’s because of this tournament that made people in America and around the world fall in love with the beautiful game.
America was exposed to its first World Cup since Brazil in 2014 after missing out on qualifying for the 2018 tournament. With the legalization of betting growing rapidly, Americans all over the nation were placing bets on their games against the likes of Iran, Wales, England, and the Netherlands.
Americans found passion, love, and patriotic excitement through every game. An estimated $1.8 billion is the amount that Americans wagered on World Cup matches. More so, globally, as Soccer is the most watched and gambled sport in the world, some estimate that over $150 billion was wagered on the World Cup worldwide.
After watching soccer and feeling patriotic love after eight long years, the World Cup is the bridge that indoctrinates new fans to the game to keep watching the sports year around.
Fans will tend to follow the domestic leagues of Soccer in Europe and even the MLS. A tournament like the one the world witnessed is surely bound to help grow the sport within America.
The Missing Pieces
What’s fascinating is that Texas, Florida, and California are known to be the largest hubs for soccer in all of America, and those states have not legalized sports betting! The tip of the iceberg of soccer betting in America hasn’t even reached, and if these states were to pass legislation, we could see a huge wave of growth for soccer dominance in America.
The Road to World Cup 2026
The next World Cup will be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada. In the next 3 years, America is estimated to grow its fan base for the sport as well as the amount of money that’s going to be wagered.
The growth of Soccer is just igniting, and the 2026 tournament is surely bound to take the sport to a high enough level, perhaps as popular as the NFL in America. Since the three nations have some of the largest capacity stadiums in the world, the 2026 World Cup will host a record capacity of in-stadium fans than any other World Cup hosts previously.
BUCKS VS CLIPPERS PLAYER PROPS, FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH
