SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The FIFA Club World Cup will take place across multiple cities in the United States, a country where the popularity of soccer has increased greatly in recent years. This shows in the early betting activity we have seen on the Kambi network, with the US currently our second-biggest betting market for the tournament, with some early money coming in for Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC in the outrights.
Set to run from 15 June to 13 July, the tournament features 32 clubs from the six FIFA confederations around the world and adopts a format that mirrors previous iterations of the men’s World Cup which is set to expand to 48 teams in 2026. While still relatively unfamiliar to many casual bettors, its structure and star-studded lineup provide promising foundations for betting growth.
A tournament with promise
The 2025 edition of the Club World Cup introduces a group stage to knockout format that aims to elevate the competition to new heights. Across 63 matches — including 15 high-stakes knockout games — elite clubs from every confederation will participate to create a truly global spectacle.
European heavyweights such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea will feature alongside top sides from South America (Palmeiras, Flamengo, River Plate), North America (Club León, Monterrey), Africa (Al Ahly), and Asia (Urawa Red Diamonds), creating intriguing matchups and unpredictable storylines.
It’s not just about the clubs, either. Players like Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ousmane Dembélé (PSG) and Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) bring global star power that could help boost awareness and drive betting engagement across different markets and time zones.
Latin America looks primed to be a crucial driver of interest. Clubs like Flamengo, River Plate and Boca Juniors come with large, passionate fanbases, while the opportunity to challenge European dominance gives these clubs added motivation — and their fans added reason to tune in. The time zone alignment with the US also supports strong engagement, and early activity across the Kambi network reflects this, with betting volumes and user interaction currently higher in the Americas (both North and South) than in Europe. Furthermore, this will be the first high-profile summer soccer tournament since the launch of Brazil’s regulated sports betting market earlier this year.
Unlocking the full betting opportunity
The truth is we simply don’t know how popular the Club World Cup will be this year or, indeed, how popular it will be in the long term. Most sportsbooks will no doubt be adopting a wait and see approach. However, if momentum does build then bettors will be expecting a first-class product offering like they’ve come to expect from high-profile, international soccer tournaments and at Kambi, we wanted to deliver our widest offering possible from the start.
Bet builder and player props remain key pillars
A premium bet builder product continues to be integral to the success of any sportsbook. It continues to grow as a percentage of overall turnover while Kambi network data from the Champions League reveals that bet builder bettors also place approximately three times as many bets as non-bet builder bettors, showcasing these players are more valuable too. Such products empower bettors to personalise their experience, combining markets such as goals, cards and player performances into a single wager, and there is no doubt that having a quality bet builder with high combinability will be crucial for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.
Player props also continue to grow in popularity. Betting on individual milestones — goals, assists, shots on target — is especially relevant with players possessing global star power such as Haaland, Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in the spotlight. Indeed, bettors engaging with player props average more than two and half times more bets placed, underlining the impact of having a comprehensive player props offering.
For the Club World Cup, Kambi will offer new live player prop markets — including ‘next player to hit the target’ — to deepen in-play engagement and keep bettors involved throughout every phase of the match.
Extra time and penalties offer crucial moments
Knockout football always delivers drama — but it also delivers greater betting volume too. During the UEFA Nations League final, just 13% of match time occurred in extra time, yet it generated 21% of total turnover on the Kambi network. With 15 knockout fixtures scheduled, there’s clear scope to drive engagement through extra-time and penalty markets. Kambi’s comprehensive offering in these moments gives operators the tools to capitalise on the most intense parts of the competition.
Depth of offering for all teams and players — familiar or not
Not every team or player will be a household name to the casual bettor. That’s where Kambi’s AI-powered pricing and trading capabilities come into play. By building models based on billions of data points from the world’s most powerful sports betting network, Kambi can deliver margin-driving pricing and markets for clubs and players across the globe. This approach ensures that every fixture, regardless of profile, can attract and retain betting interest with a deep betting offering.
Looking ahead
While the Club World Cup has potential, it’s worth noting that it enters a competitive and evolving football landscape. Women’s football, for example, continues its rapid ascent in both popularity and betting volume. Following a record-breaking FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, tournaments like the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 and Copa América Femenina, which will return in July with more teams and increased visibility, are part of a broader trend reshaping the sporting landscape.
This growth presents both a challenge and an opportunity for sportsbooks: to balance traditional betting tentpoles with emerging markets that capture fan attention and diversify engagement.
The FIFA Club World Cup is still maturing as a global property. Adjusted ticket pricing for early fixtures suggests that mainstream appeal may take time to build. But with global broadcast coverage, high-profile clubs and players and the support of passionate regional audiences, the tournament has promising ingredients.
For operators, it’s a chance to activate football fans during an otherwise quieter stretch, showcase advanced product features and test new player engagement strategies. With the right approach — backed by powerful tools like bet builders, live player props and AI-powered trading — the Club World Cup may yet be the start of something much bigger in the summer sports betting landscape.
