What are novelty and prediction markets for the 2026 soccer tournament?

Prediction markets are special markets which let you buy or sell contracts based on the outcome of future events. These predictions can be compared to novelty markets at Stake.

Novelty betting markets differ from standard betting markets like moneyline, total goals and handicaps. Rather than focusing on specific match outcomes, they cover unique results, such as whether Donald Trump will attend the US National team’s opening match.

The world’s biggest sporting event kicks off this June, with national soccer teams from across the globe competing for a chance to win the legendary trophy. All matches of the 2026 international soccer tournament are available for betting at Stake Sportsbook, along with a range of unique novelty markets.

Find out all the details on these 2026 soccer tournament novelty markets in this complete guide.

When do novelty markets open and close?

A lot of the novelty betting markets on the 2026 soccer tournament are outrights, which close when the tournament ends. For example, the market that lets you bet on the winner’s jersey brand. However, some can close early based on whether they’re still possible. For example, the market that lets you bet on whether or not any team will score 10 or more goals in the group stage. This market, and any others that specifically refer to the group stage, will close once the stage ends.

In some cases, markets may be open for the entire tournament, but the odds will shift dramatically as the tournament goes on. For example, if the group stage is low-scoring, it’s unlikely that the record for the highest scoring match will be broken during the knockout rounds. Likewise, if 3 hattricks were scored in the opening round of fixtures, there’s a high chance that 4 or more hattricks will be scored, so the odds will shorten significantly.

It’s also possible for a novelty betting market to close before the tournament begins. For example, you bet on a specific player to score a goal from a direct free kick. If that player then leaves their national team squad due to injury, the bet will close early.

Novelty and prediction markets you can bet on at Stake Sportsbook

There are lots of fun ways to bet on the international soccer tournament at Stake this summer. Some of the novelty betting markets available include:

• Team specials - Some novelty bets for team specials include the position of the player who will first lift the trophy, the jersey brand of the winning team, and whether the winning nation will be undefeated in the tournament.

• Player market specials - Lots of top players will take part in this tournament, and some of the novelty markets focus on prop odds for specific players. For example, whether or not they’ll score 2 or more penalties, to score from a free kick or to score with their weak foot.

• Tournament record specials - Will this be a record-breaking tournament? At Stake, you can bet on whether the record for the fastest goal, the highest scoring match or the most goals by a single player will be broken.

Types of bets you can place on novelty markets at Stake Sportsbook

Currently, most of the novelty betting markets on the 2026 international tournament are outright bets. These are bets that aren’t tied to a specific match result but instead focus on the tournament's outcome.

Parlay betting on novelty markets for international soccer tournaments may vary depending on the event. You can place parlays and same game multi bets on individual matches, and when placing a bet builder or multi bet with three or more selections, you'll also be able to activate Stake Shield. With this active, you'll still be able to receive a payout on your bet if one or more selections lose.

How to read odds on prediction markets

Novelty market betting odds work in just the same way as any other betting markets. Learn how to read betting odds in our guide for more details, but here’s a quick explainer using decimal odds:

With decimal odds, you simply multiply the odds by your stake to get your total payout. For example, if you bet $100 on 288+ goals to be scored during the tournament at odds of 1.90, you’ll receive a payout of $190 if your bet wins. This is $90 in profit plus your original stake.

Remember that you can switch between different odds formats at Stake, including decimal, fractional and American odds.

When placing bets on any markets, it’s important to consider the odds and your potential payout. You should be looking to maximise your value on each bet by considering whether the odds are better than the likely probability of an event. For example, if you bet on a coin toss, you’d expect the odds to be around 1.90 for heads or tails. However, anything at 2.00 or higher would give you a positive expected value each time you bet, as the chance of either outcome is 50/50.

It’s also important to remember that odds shift during the tournament, especially when looking at outright betting markets such as novelty bets. You can take advantage of this if you think the odds are likely to improve based on upcoming matches.

Bet on 2026 soccer tournament novelty markets live at Stake

Both pre-match and live betting options are available on the 2026 soccer World Cup. Make sure you understand the differences between them and how to make the most of the live stats while placing live bets.

Bear in mind that live odds will change in real time based on what’s happening during the tournament. For example, if Germany is losing their opening game, their odds to qualify top of their group will change. However, once you place a bet, those odds are locked in, even if they change later on during the event.

Although in-play betting isn’t available on novelty markets, you can still enjoy live betting coverage and follow real-time match stats.

Bet on the 2026 international soccer tournament safely at Stake Sportsbook

As you’re betting at Stake, it’s important to stay in control and stay within your betting limits. Consider applying our responsible gambling guidelines, which offer advice and tips to help you avoid betting more than you can afford to lose.

The Stake Smart page also provides resources and information about account control tools such as deposit limits and loss limits.

If you need to take an extended break from gambling, you can also set up self-exclusion from your account, allowing you to protect yourself and enjoy the football safely.