Prediction market platform Kalshi gained 3 million new users during the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament.

Traders placed $1.2 billion on Kalshi’s contracts for predicting the World Cup winner, a record for a single market on the platform.

The $1.2 billion figure marks a milestone for Kalshi, demonstrating its ability to attract a large user base through a major global event. The platform’s growth during the World Cup highlights the potential of prediction markets to engage audiences beyond traditional political and economic topics.

Kalshi did not just sit back and wait for the World Cup buzz to wash over it. The company went all in on advertising.

It signed deals with big names. Croatian soccer star Luka Modric and longtime Real Madrid coach José Mourinho appeared in ads. So did actor Timothee Chalamet in June and Colombian singer J Balvin in July.

The company also partnered with the Argentina national team. That gave them a huge boost when Lionel Messi posted about Kalshi on Instagram.

“The most important thing is enable creativity based on what’s happening,” said Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour. He said the company’s approach was to meet people where they already were.

“I don’t think there’s any game like football,” noted Vijay Viswanathan, an associate dean for integrated marketing communications at Northwestern University.