North American teams out of the World Cup – but will this affect betting on the tournament?

Latin America still has strong interest, with Brazil and Argentina progressing.

North American soccer teams at the World Cup have suffered a disheartening week, with the US, Canada and Mexico all getting knocked out. Gambling operators’ thoughts will turn to a probable downturn in ‘patriotic betting,’ as North Americans can no longer wager on their home teams.

However, a study by the American Gaming Association found that Americans planned to wager a total of $1.8bn on the tournament. A separate study by DraftKings showed that US bettors had a nuanced approach to the tournament with factors keeping them interested other than the progress of the USMNT.

Over one-third of surveyed fans will be supporting a team that is not the USMNT. Brazil had 8.4% of the vote in ‘rooting interest’ among fans surveyed, and England took second place with 4.3% backing the Three Lions. Argentina and Mexico tied with 3.4% of surveyees picking them as favorites.

Out of these four teams, Brazil, Argentina and England all remain contenders. According to a poll by Entain, these three teams are the favorites to win (Brazil being the most popular choice, and Argentina the second).

What’s more, 90% of respondees said the potential that Qatar 2022 may be Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup increased their interest in the tournament.

As Argentina and Portugal remain in the World Cup, there may still be influxes of wagers placed regarding this pair, considered two of the best players to have ever graced the pitch.

Meanwhile, betting in Latin America is likely to still be going strong. Tournament favorite Brazil faces South Korea, vast underdogs in the tie, this evening in the Round of 16. Argentina has already progressed with a stellar Messi performance demonstrating that one player alone can inspire World Cup victory, as Diego Maradona did in 1986.

A recent report by Entain showed that Brazil had the most patriotic betting fans, with 50% of bettors in the country backing their home team to win. The national team’s strong performance thus far means there will probably be no let-up in Latin American World Cup betting.

For more on the World Cup from an English perspective, see the article produced on our sister site Gambling Insider. Here it is discussed how England’s progress into the quarter-finals will ‘up the ante’ of demand in UK sportsbooks. 

Robert Collins

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