A survey of 2,000 UK sports fans conducted by Flashscore in partnership with TGM Research indicates strong interest in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with football betting expected to remain a key part of fan engagement during the tournament.
According to the research, 86.8% of male online sports fans and 81.6% of female fans plan to follow the World Cup either very closely or extremely closely.
The survey also suggests that late kick-off times will not significantly affect viewing habits. Among fans aged 18 to 34, 41.5% said they definitely intend to watch England’s late-night matches live, while a further 34.3% said they probably would. Among those aged 35 to 54, 35% said they would watch live, compared with 30.1% of respondents aged 55 and over.
The data showed continued engagement with football betting among UK sports fans. Among respondents who identified themselves as active bettors, 92% had placed a football bet within the previous three months.
Betting preferences appeared to favour goals-based markets over traditional match-result wagers. The survey found that 64% of users had placed a Both Teams to Score (BTTS) bet during the period, while 59% had wagered on Over/Under goals markets. By comparison, 49% had placed bets on standard 1X2 match outcomes.
Flashscore said the findings point to sustained interest in football betting ahead of the World Cup, with fans increasingly favouring markets linked to in-play action and goal-scoring opportunities.
The sports data and live scores platform reported that it attracts around four million monthly users in the UK, generating more than two billion monthly impressions. Globally, Flashscore said its platform has surpassed 200 million app downloads and reaches more than 125 million monthly users.
Martin Matejka, Marketing Director of Flashscore, said: “The World Cup is one of the biggest events on the global sports calendar. Flashscore attracts highly engaged sports fans, and this audience closely overlaps with the betting market. Bettors need fast, reliable scores and statistics right at that moment, which is exactly what we deliver.
“Our survey shows that 46% of Flashscore users (the highest share among key market players) that have experience with other competitors have selected Flashscore as the fastest, proving that speed matters. This combination makes Flashscore a natural partner for betting platforms looking to connect with an active audience.”
