World Cup 2026: Traffic Forecast & Verticals We Expect to Grow
Yes, you’ve heard that 1000 times before: a huge sporting event, massive traffic spikes, earnings go up, CRs grow, prepare your creatives, check your server capacity…
Yes, it’s another World Cup, big, exciting, full of opportunities. Nothing new, right?
Well, not exactly. This one comes with a few extra perks compared to a standard event like this, and some nuances you don’t want to miss.
So instead of giving you another set of generic tips like ‘run popunder’ or ‘increase bids’, we went a different way. We collected real opinions from media buyers, backed them with stats and facts, and turned everything into an actionable playbook for the World Cup 2026.
Our Experts
https://www.instagram.com/igaming
leaders.clvl@gmail.com
What We Learned from the 2022 World Cup
Before we dive into what makes the 2026 World Cup different, let’s take a quick look at what happened last time. Yes, there were the usual things like traffic spikes, higher CRs, and bigger budgets, but also some unobvious patterns.
We looked at our internal data on real campaigns to see what actually worked. Here is what we got.
Insight 1: Not just iGaming
Obviously, sporting events give a serious boost to iGaming – but, as we keep saying in our posts, it’s not the only vertical that grows. Just look at the stats:
Impressions Growth by Verticals
Nov 20 – Dec 18, 2022 · vs previous 30-day period
Sotos Charalambous, Senior Account Strategist at PropellerAds:
‘The 2022 World Cup, held in winter for the first time, showed something interesting. Based on our internal data, the uplift wasn’t limited to iGaming. We saw traffic grow across social, sports, and news platforms, translating into broader impact across almost all verticals. On average, traffic increased by around 22%, with iGaming +78%. Media and MVAS also saw a solid boost, which is definitely worth noting.’
The external data supports this trend. For example, according to EU tourism insights, events like the World Cup also make people travel more. More fans mean more trips, longer stays, and higher spending. And it’s not only about host countries: people travel more in general, plan trips around matches, and even combine destinations.
The main takeaway: Don’t treat the World Cup as an iGaming-only event: test other verticals, too.
Insight 2: Popunder dominated, Push and IPP helped
When it comes to ad formats, the pattern is pretty clear. Popunder remains the go-to format for scale: it’s simple, quick to launch, and doesn’t require overcomplicating setups. Exactly what advertisers need during peak periods.
At the same time, Push and In-Page Push (IPP) also proved effective for engagement. These formats allow buyers to react quickly to what’s happening in real time: an upcoming match, a key moment, or rising hype around specific teams.
Sotos Charalambous, Senior Account Strategist at PropellerAds:
‘From what we saw across campaigns, Onclick was the easiest way to scale fast during peak traffic. Most large advertisers relied on CPM or sCPM models, usually keeping just a few campaigns per GEO instead of over-segmenting. Basic splits like mobile vs desktop were often enough.’
The main takeaway: Try different ad formats depending on your goals, and adjust as you go.
Insight 3: Set up early, track smart
One more thing the last World Cup made clear: preparation isn’t optional.
Here is what we see from our internal stats: the advertisers who performed best didn’t wait for the tournament to start. Instead, they launched additional campaigns about a week in advance, often using zone ID whitelists to lock in high-quality traffic before competition peaked. By the time the first matches kicked off, they were already live, optimized, and scaling.
At the same time, many teams relied on performance-driven setups, focusing on long-term value rather than instant results.
This said, it won’t work if you don’t set your conversion tracking properly. Here is, for example, how the most successful iGaming setups looked last time:
- Registration as the primary goal (Goal 1)
- First-time deposit as the secondary goal (Goal 2)
The main takeaway: Start early, lock in quality traffic, and track for long-term value – not just immediate results.
Insight 4: First-time deposits grow if you start early
The idea of starting early isn’t just a best practice: it’s clearly backed by data.
Based on our internal research, FTDs can increase by up to 100% during the World Cup. A significant share of those FTDs comes from users who registered well before the tournament even started.
In other words, the campaigns you launch in advance don’t just bring early results but build a pipeline that pays off later. When the World Cup begins, users come back, engagement spikes, and many of those earlier registrations finally convert into deposits. So if you only look at immediate results, you’re missing a big part of the value.
Main takeaway: Starting early isn’t optional: it directly impacts how many FTDs you’ll get when the World Cup traffic peaks.
Insight 5: It’s not just Tier-1 – and never was
Another thing our data makes clear: World Cup traffic isn’t limited to Tier-1 markets.
Our stats show that the biggest growth during the last tournament came from a mix of regions, not just the usual popular GEOs. Here are a couple of examples Sotos shared with us:
- iGaming: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Nigeria, Ghana, and Pakistan stood out alongside Tier-1 markets like the US, UK, and Spain.
- MVAS and VPN: The growth was even more widespread, with strong performance across regions such as South Africa, UAE, Kenya, Bangladesh, and Colombia.
Main takeaway: Don’t focus only on Tier-1 – some of the opportunities might come from less obvious GEOs during the World Cup.
What’s Special About FIFA World Cup 2026?
…And what does it mean for media buyers?
The first change that comes to mind is obviously the larger number of teams. 48 participants instead of the previous 32 means more GEOs you can try, and more traffic beyond the expensive Tier 1.
Any pitfalls? In fact, yes, there are some. Let’s look at all the changes and how they might really affect traffic beyond the ‘wow, more GEOs’ effect.
1. More teams and more games
The new World Cup features almost twice as many games as before: 104 matches will be played.
According to FIFA, it is expected to generate around $11 billion and attract over 5 million fans. Plus, with more matches and content, people will stay engaged for longer throughout the tournament.
However, experts agree that while the World Cup 2026 will bring much more total traffic, it might be spread out over time. Big matches will still attract most of the views, but many games will get less attention. So, most likely, traffic will come in smaller, more spread-out spikes.
C-lvl Media representative:
Total attention will almost certainly grow, but it will be less evenly distributed. Top matches will still dominate, while many games will bring lower traffic value. With 104 matches in 39 days, the tournament becomes more packed. As a result, audiences are likely to focus on specific events – like their national team, top matches, upsets, or playoffs – rather than watching everything.
888STARZ representative:
There will likely be a massive increase in total volume, but traffic will be spread out over time. Since 2020, there haven’t really been tournaments that significantly changed how people consume this kind of content. With 40 additional matches, the event becomes more of a marathon than a sprint. This means that by the third week, creative fatigue will become a critical factor for media buyers.
2. 3 host countries instead of 1
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by three countries: the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Matches will take place across many cities in all three countries, and games will be played in different time zones. This is the first time in history that the World Cup has been organized by three host nations.
According to FIFA’s analysis, the 2026 World Cup won’t be a single-location event but will turn into a multi-city journey, with fans traveling between different host cities throughout the tournament.
It means longer user journeys, more touchpoints, and repeated engagement instead of one-time interactions – and a stronger need to adjust campaigns based on timing and GEO.
3. YouTube and TikTok Highlights
Starting with the 2026 World Cup, FIFA is placing greater focus on short-form content. For example, YouTube broadcasters will be able to stream the first 10 minutes of every match, along with extended highlights.
Also, FIFA expands its partnership with TikTok: it will add more original content, launch a creator program, create a dedicated tournament hub, and give media partners more options to stream parts of matches and publish clips.
C–Vision:
TikTok also claims that users who watch sports content on the platform are 42% more likely to watch live matches later. While this should be treated as a platform-driven statistic, not a 100% truth, it reflects a broader trend: short-form content can increase interest and engagement, especially among younger audiences. For media buyers, this can bring additional traffic and new entry points into funnels, but also shorter attention spans and more competition for user focus.
What changes — and what it means for traffic
A simple before / now / meaning view of the biggest World Cup 2026 shifts for media buyers.
How to Actually Approach World Cup 2026 (Playbook)
Now, to the actionable tips: what exactly you should and shouldn’t do with all this traffic avalanche expected during the tournament?
1. Think in micropeaks, not one big spike
As 888STARZ representative puts it, viewers will be more selective – especially during mid-tier group-stage matches. A ‘run everything all the time’ strategy won’t work. Instead, you should tie your ads to real-time events (goals, red cards, penalties), rather than running static ads for the full 90 minutes.
As experts agree, the biggest spikes will come from the four peak zones:
- The start of the tournament and host country matches – USA, Mexico, and Canada
- Important group-stage matches
- Unexpected results (upsets – when a weaker team beats a stronger one; with 48 teams, the chance of new storylines increases, and the market responds well to them)
- The playoffs, especially in the later stages, where each match becomes a major event
C-lvl Media representative:
The new format also adds a Round of 32, an extra knockout stage that creates a new set of high-stakes matches that will likely bring its own spike in attention between the group stage and the later rounds. It matters because traffic depends not just on the number of games, but on how exciting and important those games feel.
However, according to the 888STARZ representative, you should still catch the most converting traffic during these traditional windows:
- 24 hours before the match
- 12 hours after the match
These are the classic peaks of audience interest: users are either excited waiting for the match, or stay very emotional immediately after.
2. Master your GEO-strategy
…but what GEOs will rock, then? First, here are our predictions based on our internal statistics:
GEO Priority Matrix for World Cup 2026
Estimated World Cup traffic, competition level, and CPM benchmarks by GEO.
| GEO | Traffic Potential | Competition | Estimated CPM | Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 USA | ~490M impressions | Very High | $4.10 | High-volume, high-budget campaigns |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | ~153M impressions | High | $1.85 | Core host-country GEO |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil / LATAM | ~244M impressions | Medium | $1.78 | High-volume, efficient traffic |
| 🇪🇺 Europe (Tier 1) | ~700M+ impressions | Very High | $3.43 | Premium traffic, selective scaling |
| 🌍 Africa | ~396M+ impressions | Medium | $2.10 | Emerging-market scale opportunity |
| 🇨🇮 CIS / Uzbekistan | ~18M+ impressions | Low | $1.74 | Niche, lower-competition traffic |
Experts we asked see the GEO strategy in two ways.
Some believe the main focus should remain on traditional football GEOs – such as host countries and Latin America. It seems like a safe option: these GEOs have the strongest demand, attention, and football culture.
Others believe more attention should go to emerging markets, though: they are less competitive and can bring cheaper but high-quality traffic from the very emotionally-engaged audience.
C-lvl Media representative:
The hottest GEOs will be the ones that combine three points: strong football culture, a local or nearby time zone, and enough media attention. First of all, this includes the US and Mexico as host countries. Then, Latin America in general, where demand for the tournament is traditionally very high. The expansion to 48 teams can increase interest in second-tier national teams, but it is unlikely to change the global picture too much – just create local spikes in specific countries, diasporas, and niche communities.
888STARZ representative:
The main focus should be on emerging markets. The expansion to 48 teams in the World Cup 2026 opens access to cheap and highly engaged traffic in regions like Africa and CIS, for example, Uzbekistan. Fans of teams that qualified for the first time or rarely take part are very emotional and often underestimated by media buyers. It can bring better ROI than overheated Tier-1 markets.
Where to focus: volume or ROI
Traditional football GEOs
Focus on the US, Mexico, and Latin America when you want stronger volume, higher media attention, and more natural demand around the tournament.
Emerging markets
Focus on Africa and CIS when you want cheaper traffic, lower competition, and stronger engagement from fans of newer or less frequent World Cup teams.
3. Add Short-Form Content to Your Funnel
The collaboration between FIFA and YouTube/TikTok can bring additional traffic for media buyers – at least, this will be a new funnel entry point.
As the 888STARZ representative puts it, YouTube cooperation will act as a strong top-of-funnel driver. However, web traffic should expect a massive drop-off around the 10-11 minute mark, when paywalls or geo-blocks kick in. It creates a perfect moment for trigger-based ads such as VPNs, streaming services, or iGaming. At this point, you are catching the hottest user who is actively looking for a way to continue watching the match.
Meanwhile, he thinks that TikTok is more of a win-win. It will act as a main ‘second screen’, not taking the audience away from TV but complementing it. As he says, it’s one of the best channels for viral content, influencer marketing, and reacting quickly to hype.
However, according to a C-lvl Media representative, it is very unlikely that cooperation with YouTube and TikTok will fully replace traditional live viewing.
C-lvl Media representative:
Instead, this setup will work more like a bridge: some users will stay on the platform, some will move to official broadcasters to watch the full match, and others will stick to short-form content.
So, the key is to catch users at different moments – from discovery on TikTok to intent after YouTube highlights and guide them further down the funnel.
4. Pick the formats and setups properly
Based on Sotos’ recommendations, we’ve put together a set of ad formats on PropellerAds that can work best during the World Cup.
Pick formats based on your goal
Based on previous events, the same pattern will likely work again: use Pop for scale, Push and IPP for fast reactions, and Interactive Ads for more engaged traffic.
Pop / Onclick
Best for scale. Fast to launch, simple to manage, and useful during peak traffic periods.
Push / IPP
Best for reacting to matches, hype, and key moments in real time.
Telegram
A strong option for reaching high-value users with match-focused creatives.
Interactive Ads
Useful for more relevant and engaged traffic, especially around important matches.
And here is a note from the 888STARZ representative for the novices:
Beginners will likely struggle with Facebook and Google auctions in Tier-1 GEOs – the budgets can disappear in just a few hours. It’s better to start with Push and simpler setups in Tier-3 regions like Africa, LATAM, and CIS. Entry costs are lower there, and there’s more room to test, especially with newer teams coming into the World Cup.
5. Mind your creative strategy
Nothing new here, in fact: to perform well during the World Cup, you need good-looking creatives, clear sports context, and proper localization – and, as a cherry on the pie – refresh them regularly.
Here are some more details from our experts:
888STARZ representative:
We’re talking about ultra-level quality here. Visuals need to be polished and premium. Keep the text minimal, focus on emotion and localization – including local payment methods, say, UzCard or Humo, and clear first deposit bonus terms. By the third week, creative fatigue becomes a critical factor, so regularly refreshing creatives is essential to maintain performance.
C-lvl Media representative:
Localization is a basic requirement, especially in regions like LATAM. Language, local specifics, dialect, cultural context, sports references, and recognizable figures can impact results just as much as the offer itself.
Sotos:
Creatives don’t have to be limited to iGaming. During the last World Cup, many VPN campaigns used sports-oriented prelanders to better match the event and increase engagement.
Key Risk Areas For Your World Cup Campaigns
The previous experience shows that the biggest mistake is treating an event of such a level as if you have plenty of time for adjustments. You most likely don’t.
However, this doesn’t mean you should drop the idea completely if you’re a bit late. Instead, you can adjust your strategy based on timing. Together with Sotos, we created a simple interactive slider that can help you:
How early should you launch?
Move the slider to see how campaign strategy changes as match day gets closer. The earlier you start, the more time you have to test traffic quality, build registrations, and turn them into FTDs later.
And, some other common mistakes you should keep in mind:
- Weak or Unknown Product. During big events like the World Cup, people don’t want to think too much – they just go with what they already know. There’s a lot going on: many matches, tons of content, and limited attention. Because of that, people make faster decisions and avoid anything unfamiliar – it just feels easier.
This isn’t really about loyalty, but more about saving mental effort when there’s too much happening at once.
C-lvl Media representative: In event traffic, the market has almost no time to warm up: campaigns launch at scale, competition rises quickly, and users tend to choose brands they already trust.
- No Real Connection to the Event. Generic creatives don’t work – the audience instantly sees when you’re just riding the hype.
C-lvl Media representative: Football audiences quickly notice when an offer, messaging, or creative lacks a real connection to the event.
- No Preparation. Trying to figure things out during the event is too late.
C-lvl Media representative: In a long and intense event, it’s too late to improvise from scratch. Testing, team roles, workflows, and load distribution should be prepared in advance.
- Focusing Only on Live Traffic. Many buyers ignore traffic before and after matches, and lose a big part of the value.
888STARZ representative: The main mistake is focusing only on live traffic and ignoring pre- and post-match phases.
- Competing on Finals Only. Trying to beat big brands during finals usually burns budgets.
888STARZ representative: Many also try to outbid big brands during finals instead of making profit from niche group-stage matches.
- Stopping Too Early. Traffic doesn’t end with the final, but many campaigns do.
888STARZ representative: Another common mistake is stopping campaigns right after the final, while user interest often continues for a couple more weeks.
Main Takeaways and Conclusion
World Cup 2026 will bring more traffic and more competition. It’s not just about ‘more users’ – but also about timing and flexibility.
If you prepare early, adapt fast, and master your funnel, this event can be a real boost to your profits – not just another traffic spike.
- Start early or pay later. Early campaigns build the funnels that convert into FTDs during peak traffic.
- Think in multiple peaks, not one spike. Traffic will come in waves, so focus on key moments, not just the final.
- Don’t stick to Tier-1 only. Emerging GEOs can bring cheaper and often more engaged traffic.
- Use formats based on your goal. Pop for scale, Push/IPP for quick reactions, other formats for premium users.
- Creatives matter more than ever. Premium visuals, strong context, and proper localization – plus regular updates – are essential.
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