The 2026 World Cup has generated significant betting engagement from African players, and as we enter the penultimate group stage games, iGaming Expert is taking a closer look at the trends that have emerged from a thrilling start to the tournament.
Using sentiments and viewing behaviours, GeoPoll estimated a high level of betting engagement in Africa, with 52% of respondents confirming they had placed a football bet leading up to the tournament, standing at 64% in Kenya, 60% in Ghana, 58% in South Africa, while there is a sharp drop to 25% in Egypt.
Interestingly, it underlines that Kenya is one of the nations that has most engaged with gambling throughout the tournament, that’s in spite of the Kenyan national team not making it to the tournament.
The star power of the English Premier League is continuing to have an impact on the domestic backing of key African nations, with Egypt and Ghana, led by Mohamed Salah and Antoine Semenyo, as two teams that are enjoying significant home support during the tournament.
Though the Super Eagles have not qualified for the competition, Nigeria still retains significant tournament zest thanks to their deep sense of acceptance of the sport and the mainstream behavior that football betting has become.
Siding with the underdog
Ahmed Jokotoye, Head of Retail Operations at Betano, also revealed that backing the high-reward underdog markets betting is a noticeable pattern as punters try to find value during the extended tournament.
That said, DRC Congo’s shock draw with Portugal has already seen Polymarket pay out almost $1 million in winnings ($957,000) to a punter who wagered just under $300,000 for the Cristiano Ronaldo-led side not to come away victorious, recouping a sizeable $1,249,918.80 from the bet.
Another bettor lost $1 million after Spain failed to win the match against Cape Verde, a bet that could have earned around $86,000. These trends show that betting behaviours are shifting, and the price-sensitive punters are looking to swing the odds in their favour.
Ahmed told iGaming Expert: “Germany, France, Argentina are understandably the favourites, and then there could be a chance for one or two of the host countries. The USA is becoming a favorite for the final as well.”
“I think for Nigerian bettors, there isn’t a defined favourite so far, but maybe it’s still early to determine that.
“Unless there had been a sort of ante-post bet by someone who strongly believes in a particular team and had made a bet outright to win the World Cup.”
With the 2026 World Cup estimated to rake in around $50 billion in worldwide betting revenue, African markets, fuelled by their increasing bettor engagement, are expected to account for a substantial proportion of that, with analysts suggesting it could surpass the $10 billion range.
