Everything you need to know about betting on soccer and the FIFA World Cup 2026 in one place. Use the sections below to find answers fast! ⚽
Injury Protection
The Injury Protection Policy covers Soccer, including the FIFA World Cup. It applies to Singles, SGM player prop markets & limited Pick'Em Markets.
Qualifying leagues
EPL, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A, Champions League, MLS, A-League and FIFA World Cup.
Criteria
The selected player is injured during the 1st Half and does not take any part in the game during the 2nd Half.
Players that start on the bench and enter the game for any amount of time are not covered and will be settled as normal.
⚠️ Being substituted off is not the same as being injured. If a player is taken off for tactical reasons, load management, or any non-injury reason, the Injury Protection Policy does not apply and the bet will be settled as normal.
Pick'em and Injury Protection
Soccer is the only sport where Pick'em markets are covered by the Injury Protection Policy. Any selection involving the Less option is not eligible for a void or refund. Less selections on an injured player will be settled as normal.
How Injury Protection affects each bet type
Bet Type | What happens |
Singles | Individual bet refunded. Other bets in your account are not affected. |
SGM | Player selection voided, causing the entire SGM to be voided and refunded. |
Pick'em (Soccer only) | Leg removed, multiplier adjusts to remaining legs. Rest of entry continues. |
Common questions
What if a player misses time due to a coaching decision?
What if a player misses time due to a coaching decision?
If a player does not take part due to being rested, rotated, or managed for load, their bet will not be voided and will be settled as normal. The policy only applies to genuine injuries.
What if a player is already a winning bet before leaving the game?
What if a player is already a winning bet before leaving the game?
This is treated like a normal bet and paid out accordingly.
For the full policy, see our Injury Protection Policy article.
Settlement Providers
How your bet is settled depends on the market type. Here is a breakdown of the official data sources we use and what to do if you think your bet has been settled incorrectly.
Settlement by bet type
Market Type | Data Provider |
Singles and SGM | Resulted by our data providers. Opta is the official reference for any stat discrepancies. |
Pick'em (Soccer, including World Cup) | Opta official statistics. Another official source used if Opta is unavailable. |
MVP Combinations, Stat Pack and Match Day Dabbles | Opta official statistics. Another official source used if Opta is unavailable. |
Settlement timeline
Most markets settle automatically shortly after the final whistle once the result is confirmed. Markets that rely on Opta stats (Pick'em, MVP Combinations and Stat Pack) may take additional time as settlement waits for official statistics to be published and confirmed.
Delays are normal where official stats take time to be published. If your bet has not settled after 60 minutes, contact our support team.
Checking your stats on Opta before contacting us
If you believe your bet has been settled incorrectly, we recommend checking the official Opta stats before reaching out. This can help confirm whether the stats align with your expected result.
Visit optaplayerstats.statsperform.com/en_GB/soccer
Search for the relevant match using the team name or competition
Select the match and locate your player to view their official stats
Compare the Opta stats against your bet to see if the settlement is correct
If the Opta stats support your claim and you still believe there is a discrepancy, contact our support team with the match details, player name, and the stats you are disputing. If Opta subsequently revises their official stats, we will reassess and update your result accordingly.
Player Market Rules
How player availability affects your bet depends on the market type. The rules vary significantly between bet types, particularly between SGM and other markets.
Player availability
The rules differ significantly by bet format. Here is how each handles the two most common scenarios: your player is not in the starting XI, or they come on as a substitute.
Bet Format | Market | Not in starting XI | Comes on as substitute |
Singles | Player stat markets (shots, tackles, passes, saves, offsides) | Void | Void. Must start. |
Singles | Goal scorer (first goal scorer) | Void if not on pitch before first goal | Void if not on pitch before first goal |
Singles | Goal scorer (last or anytime) | Void only if does not play at all | Stands |
Singles | Bookings and card markets | Void only if never takes the field | Stands |
SGM | All player markets | Void only if never enters the field | Stands |
Pick'em | All player markets | Void | Void. Must be in starting XI. |
MVP Combinations | All player markets | Void | Void. Must be in starting XI. |
Stat Pack | All player markets | Void | Void. Must be in starting XI. |
Player subbed off mid-match? This is not the same as not starting. The bet
generally stands unless the Injury Protection Policy applies (player injured in the 1st half and does not return for the 2nd half).
Why a player may be voided
Common reasons a player selection is voided:
Not in the starting line-up: Applies to player stat markets (shots, tackles, passes, saves, offsides etc.), Pick'em, MVP Combinations, and Stat Pack. A late withdrawal or confirmed DNP will trigger a void on those bet types.
Never entered the field of play: For SGM player markets only. If the player started on the bench and was never brought on, the entire SGM is void.
Injury Protection applied: For Soccer (including World Cup), if a player starts, is injured in the 1st half and does not return for the 2nd half, their More or Over selection will be voided. For Singles, that individual bet is refunded. For SGMs, the voided player selection causes the entire SGM to be voided and refunded. For Soccer Pick'em, the leg is removed and your multiplier adjusts. Less and Under selections are not covered and settle as normal.
Pick'em two-team rule: If legs are voided and all remaining players in your entry are from the same team, the entire entry is voided as it no longer meets the minimum two-team requirement.
ℹ️ If you are unsure why your player was voided, contact our support team with your bet details and we will look into it.
MVP Combo Markets & Stat Packs
MVP Combinations and Featured MVP Combinations
If a listed player is not in the starting line-up for the match, selections including that player will be void.
All player MVP markets are resulted on regulation time (90 minutes plus injury stoppage time). Extra time and penalty shootouts are not included for settlement purposes unless stated otherwise.
All MVP markets will be resulted per the results published by Opta, or another official data source if statistics are not provided by Opta.
Dabble's Stat Pack and Popular Dabble's Stat Pack
If a listed player is not in the starting line-up for the match, selections including that player will be void.
All player Dabble's Stat Pack markets are resulted on regulation time (90 minutes plus injury stoppage time). Extra time and penalty shootouts are not included for settlement purposes unless stated otherwise.
All Dabble's Stat Pack markets will be resulted per the results published by Opta, or another official data source if statistics are not provided by Opta.
Pick'em
Pick'em markets on Soccer (including World Cup) are settled using official statistics from Opta, or another official data source if Opta is not available.
All markets are resulted on regulation time (90 minutes plus injury stoppage time) only. Extra time and penalty shootouts are not included unless explicitly stated.
If the selected player is not in the starting line-up, the Pick'em market on that player will be void.
Delays in settlement are normal where official stats take time to be published.
Post-event disqualifications or penalties do not affect settlement. The official result at the end of the event is final.
General rules
Your Pick'em bet must include players from at least two opposing teams.
If all players from one team are voided after legs are removed, the entire entry will be voided as it no longer meets the two-team requirement.
For full Pick'em rules and how to place a Pick'em bet, visit our Pick'em page.
Handicap Betting Explained
Handicap betting levels the playing field by giving one team a virtual goal advantage or disadvantage before the match begins.
How to read a handicap
A negative number (e.g., France -1.5) means France must overcome that deficit. They need to win by 2 or more goals for a France -1.5 bet to win.
A positive number (e.g., Australia +1.5) means Australia have a head start. They can lose by 1 goal, draw, or win outright and the bet still wins.
Half-ball handicaps (e.g., -0.5, -1.5, -2.5)
The 0.5 increment means a draw after the handicap is applied is impossible: there are only two outcomes, win or lose. Stakes are never refunded on half-ball handicap markets.
Example: France -1.5 v Australia +1.5. Final score: France 2-0 Australia. After handicap: France 0.5, Australia 1.5. Australia win on handicap.
Whole-ball handicaps (e.g., -1.0, +1.0)
A whole-number handicap means a draw after the handicap is applied is possible.
If only two outcomes are quoted (no separate Draw option), a draw after the handicap results in a void and your stake is refunded.
If three outcomes are quoted (including a priced Draw), the Draw is a valid winning selection and a draw after the handicap is not a void.
Example: France -1.0 v Australia +1.0. Final score: France 2-1 Australia. After handicap: France 1.0, Australia 0.0. Handicap result is a draw. With two outcomes quoted, the bet is void and refunded. With three outcomes quoted, the Draw selection wins.
Handicap 0
A Handicap 0 market means neither team starts with an advantage. You are betting on which team wins the match outright. If the match ends level, the outcome depends on the market structure: with two outcomes quoted the bet is void; with three outcomes (including a priced Draw), the Draw selection wins.
ℹ️ All handicap markets are settled on regulation time (90 minutes plus injury time) only. Extra time and penalty shootouts do not count.
Common Football Questions
Does extra time count for my bet?
Most markets are settled on regulation time (90 minutes plus injury time) only. Extra time and penalty shootouts do not count unless the market is explicitly labelled as including them.
My team won but my bet lost. How?
In World Cup knockout matches this is almost always because the market you bet on is settled on regulation time only (90 minutes plus injury time), not including extra time or penalties.
Match Result market: Settled on the score at the end of 90 minutes plus injury time. If the score is level at 90 minutes and your team goes on to win in extra time or on penalties, a Match Result bet on that team is settled as a draw, meaning your bet is a loss.
To Win the Tie / To Progress to the Next Round: These markets explicitly include extra time and penalty shootouts. If your team wins on penalties, a bet on these markets is a winner.
❗ Always check before you bet: Match Result markets settle on regulation time only. To Win the Tie and To Progress markets include extra time and penalties.
What if the match is abandoned?
If less than 80 minutes of regulation time has been completed, all markets will be void unless the result for a particular market has already been unequivocally decided.
If 80 minutes or more has been completed, the match is considered to have been completed for settlement purposes.
If the match is abandoned and resumed or replayed within 48 hours of the original start time, all bets will stand.
What if the match is postponed?
Bets will be void unless the match is rescheduled to commence within 48 hours of the original scheduled start time.
How are group stage standings decided if teams are level on points?
FIFA uses a structured tiebreaker system. The criteria are applied in order until the tie is broken.
If two or more teams are level on points, the following apply first, based only on the matches played between those tied teams:
Most points from head-to-head matches between the tied teams
Superior goal difference from those head-to-head matches
Most goals scored in those head-to-head matches
If teams are still tied after the above, or if only two teams are level on points, the following apply across all group matches:
Superior goal difference across all group matches
Most goals scored across all group matches
Best fair play score (fewest yellow and red cards across all group matches)
FIFA World Ranking
Will my Group Winner bet still count if the team finishes first on goal difference or goals scored rather than wins?
Yes. Group Winner markets are settled on the official final group standings. If your team finishes first in their group under any of the tiebreaker criteria above, the bet is a winner. The method used to determine the final position does not affect settlement.
Do own goals count?
Own goals do not count for goal scorer markets (first, last or anytime). They do count for total goals markets and count toward the team they are awarded to.
What if I think the stats used to settle my bet are wrong?
All stats-based markets are settled using official data from Opta. If you believe there is a discrepancy, the result will stand based on Opta's published stats at the time of settlement.
If Opta subsequently revises their official stats, we will reassess and update the result accordingly.
You can contact Opta directly via statsperform.com/contact if you wish to raise a stat query with them.
How are assist markets settled?
Assist markets are settled as per results published on whoscored.com.
How are card markets settled?
Only bookings in regulation time count. Bookings of managers, coaches, or players not yet on the pitch do not count. Bookings made after the final whistle do not count.
For card index markets: Yellow card = 10 points, Red card = 25 points. If a player receives a yellow then a red, the total is 35 points (maximum per player).
How are corner markets settled?
Only corners physically taken are counted. If a corner is re-taken, it counts as one corner. Extra time does not count.
For more information on our Soccer Rules, please check out our Soccer T&Cs