PARIS, France (AFP) — The World Cup has engaged punters like never before with an 80 per cent increase in betting volume compared to the 2022 edition, even taking into account the higher number of matches for a 48-team tournament, a betting expert told AFP.

Although many football fans were sceptical about the increase in the number of teams from 32 to 48, it appears punters have welcomed it.

“We’ve seen an 80 per cent increase in the ticket volume,” Darren Small, senior vice president of Managed Trading Services at Sportradar, told AFP.