Flashscore has published findings from a survey of 2,000 UK sports fans, conducted with TGM Research, looking at viewing and betting habits ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

According to the research, 86.8% of male fans and 81.6% of female fans among online sports audiences plan to follow the tournament “very” or “extremely” closely.

With time zone differences expected to push some kick-offs to around or after midnight UK time, the survey indicates stronger willingness to watch England late-night games live among younger fans. It found 41.5% of 18–34s say they will “definitely” watch England’s late-night matches live and 34.3% “probably” will. The figures fall to 35.0% (aged 35–54) and 30.1% (55+) for those saying they will “definitely” watch live.

On wagering, Flashscore said fans are prioritising in-game markets over standard match outcomes. It reported 64% of UK users placed “Both Teams to Score” (BTTS) bets and 59% placed “Over/Under” total goals wagers during the tracked period, compared with 49% who placed standard match outcome (1X2) bets.

Martin Matejka, Marketing Director of Flashscore, said: “The World Cup is one of the biggest events on the global sports calendar. Flashscore attracts highly engaged sports fans, and this audience closely overlaps with the betting market. Bettors need fast, reliable scores and statistics right at that moment, which is exactly what we deliver.

“Our survey shows that 46% of Flashscore users (the highest share among key market players) that have experience with other competitors have selected Flashscore as the fastest, proving that speed matters. This combination makes Flashscore a natural partner for betting platforms looking to connect with an active audience.”

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Flashscore has been ranked the fastest sports results platform by UK fans, according to new research into how audiences consume live sport.

In the UK survey of 2,000 sports fans, 46% identified Flashscore as the quickest platform. Flashscore said the pattern was similar in Italy, where 49% of 2,000 respondents named Flashscore the fastest, and in Brazil, where 53% of 3,300 participants reached the same conclusion.

Respondents also associated Flashscore with reliability. In Italy, Flashscore (known locally as Diretta) was recognised as being more accurate than competitors and national broadcasters’ platforms, while in the UK and Brazil it was recognised as being equal to or close to competitors and national broadcasters’ platforms.

Flashscore Director of Engineering Tomáš Kavka said: “It is not one magic technology that solves everything, it is a lot of small and larger right decisions over time.

“Serving a user in South America from Europe is technically possible, but speed is in our DNA. If we want to be the fastest on every continent, we need to be as close as possible to the user. And the data needs to reach that location the moment it appears in our database.”

The company said it continues to scale globally in its 20th year since launch, reporting more than 125 million monthly users worldwide, more than 400 million app downloads across its portfolio, and approximately 145 billion monthly impressions. Flashscore also reported over four million UK downloads, more than two billion monthly impressions, and average daily time spent close to 30 minutes. On infrastructure, Flashscore said it moved to a new data centre in Prague in 2024, tripling processing capacity, and uses a distributed cloud architecture. It added that during a major Champions League matchday earlier this season it handled 34 million users in a day, delivered 700 million notifications, and processed up to 1.3 million requests per second.

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New data from Flashscore, the world’s leading platform for live scores and sports content, reveals that almost 34,000,000 users tuned in yesterday for one of the most dramatic nights in UEFA Champions League history.

The intensity of the matches generated a massive wave of digital engagement, with 18 matches all taking place at the same time on the final day of the league format.

From the football-mad streets of Brazil to the frozen research stations of Antarctica, fans across 239 countries and territories checked their phones as Benfica’s goalkeeper scored a 98th-minute header and Real Madrid crashed into the playoffs.

Martin Matejka, Marketing Director of Flashscore, said: “Yesterday wasn’t just a matchday; it was a global event and we were well prepared. When game-changing moments decide matches – from a goalkeeper’s stoppage-time header against Real Madrid to last-minute winners across Europe – the world doesn’t just watch, it reacts. Flashscore sent out over 700 million push notifications to our users as drama unfolded across the continent.

“Our data shows unprecedented engagement from all over the world, and I am glad we could bring these extraordinary moments to fans from Brazil to Antarctica.”

TOP MATCHES ranked by number of users

The drama at the Estádio da Luz dominated the global conversation, with nearly 10 million users following the Benfica-Madrid clash alone.

1 Benfica vs. Real Madrid (9,7M users): The undisputed main event. Fans flocked to the match detail as Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a historic 98th-minute header to seal a 4-2 win, sending Real Madrid to the playoffs.

2 Barcelona vs. FC Copenhagen (8,3M users): Massive interest as Barcelona thrashed the Danes 4-1 to secure direct qualification to the Round of 16.

3 Napoli vs. Chelsea (5,9M users): A rollercoaster in Naples. Chelsea fought back to win 3-2, eliminating Napoli despite a stunning “Maradona-esque” pirouette goal from Antonio Vergara.

TOP PLAYERS ranked by number of users

1. Jorginho (995K users): The Kairat Almaty midfielder trended globally after scoring a penalty against his former club, Arsenal, at the Emirates Stadium—a major talking point that drove nearly 1 million profile views.

2. Anatoliy Trubin (725K users): The unlikeliest hero. The Benfica goalkeeper’s stoppage-time header against Real Madrid sent his profile traffic into the stratosphere.

3. Andreas Schjelderup (368K users): The 21-year-old Norwegian announced himself to the world with a brace against Real Madrid.

4. Kylian Mbappé (317K users): Even in defeat, the superstar commanded attention and ranked 4th. He scored twice for Madrid, but his team’s collapse was the bigger story.

TOP TEAMS ranking by users:

1. Real Madrid (1,6M users): The “Kings of Europe” falling into the playoff round after a chaotic 4-2 loss drove massive traffic.

2. Benfica (1,1M users): The victors of the night. Their miraculous comeback and “goalkeeper goal” made them the second most-clicked team worldwide.

3. Barcelona (930K users): Solid interest as they cruised to victory and the next round.

Flashscore Global Reach

While Brazil was the single most active nation, the traffic was evenly split across continents: In Europe the huge engagement was driven by fans in Italy, France, Poland, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, and Germany.
Africa’s continent showed massive interest, led by Nigeria, Ghana, and Ivory Coast. Football fever also swept across Asia, with significant user numbers from Indonesia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, and Uzbekistan.
The obsession reached the most remote corners of the Earth. Flashscore recorded active users from Antarctica and Christmas Island, proving that even in the most isolated locations, fans refused to miss the drama.

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