Kalshi has agreed an official sponsorship with the Argentina Football Association (AFA) for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, giving the prediction market operator access to AFA intellectual property during a tournament hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The agreement covers co-branded activations, social media campaigns and use of Argentina’s sky-blue and white crest in Kalshi marketing materials. Argentina enters the tournament as defending champion after winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The deal also brings Genius Sports into the arrangement. Genius Sports, AFA’s official data and streaming partner, will provide official sports data to support the creation and settlement of related prediction market contracts.
The supplier will also include Kalshi in integrity information-sharing processes linked to market transparency.
The partnership lands during a significant regulatory moment for prediction markets in the US. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has proposed rules that would allow federally regulated sports event contracts while restricting markets tied to injuries, officiating decisions and other categories considered more vulnerable to manipulation.
The proposal remains subject to public comment and possible legal challenges.
Kalshi’s sports expansion has drawn opposition from parts of the betting sector, including arguments that event contracts can bypass state and tribal gambling frameworks.
At the same time, federal court rulings have strengthened the position of CFTC-regulated prediction market operators in disputes with state regulators.
AFA has also expanded its commercial and data partnerships around its national team and domestic soccer rights. Genius Sports extended its AFA technology and streaming arrangement through 2030, covering official data, video streaming rights and integrity services across Argentine soccer.
The sponsorship follows Kalshi’s efforts to address regulatory barriers outside the US. Earlier this week, Global Gaming Insider reported that Kalshi Co-Founder Luana Lopes Lara said the operator planned to work with Brazilian authorities after the country blocked prediction market platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first edition staged in the United States since 1994, with matches also taking place in Canada and Mexico
