While the greatest teams on the planet prepare to step onto the North American fields, another indicator is already drawing attention: that of prediction markets. Before the kickoff of the first match of the 2026 World Cup, bets on dedicated platforms have surpassed two billion dollars, a threshold that testifies to the rise of this new form of collective anticipation. Between trader enthusiasm, tight competition among favorites, and a new competition format, this World Cup is already a large-scale laboratory for the prediction market industry.