Overview
- FIFA’s 48‑team, 104‑match World Cup will open on Thursday, June 11 and run through July 19 with the final at MetLife Stadium, and all match schedules and host cities are confirmed.
- Bookmakers and pay‑per‑head platforms have rolled out extensive futures, micro‑markets and promotions to serve continuous global betting across time zones, with major operators publishing odds and special offers in the run‑up to the tournament.
- Security researchers say roughly 19,000 domains referencing “FIFA” were registered since January 2026 and the FBI and Meta have issued public warnings about spoofed sites, fake ticket offers and fraudulent hospitality packages using tournament branding.
- Fraud and malware campaigns are active on multiple fronts, including fake ticket and travel listings on social media, underground offers for discounted bookings and visa help, and unofficial IPTV apps distributing Android malware such as BTMOB.
- Fans and small operators face concrete risks: experts recommend buying tickets only from official platforms, avoiding unofficial streaming apps, using strong account security, and watching for law‑enforcement takedowns and platform removals that could follow as organizers respond.