Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 thumping of Inter Milan in the 2025 Champions League final was the most popular football match when it came to betting during 2025.
The annual rankings for biggest sporting events revealed by Entain show that for football punters it was major cup competitions that led the way globally, with PSG involved in the top three most active games for wagers being laid.
Manchester United also featured prominently, attracting heavy betting for their Europa League final against Tottenham as well as being involved in the three most popular Premier League games among the list of top 50 global events across all sports.
That will be of little comfort to boss Ruben Amorim who led the Premier League sack race before being axed by the club in the first few days of 2026.
Global giant Entain operate several popular sports betting brands, including Ladbrokes and Coral in the UK and BetMGM as a joint venture in the US and Canada.
Surprise Popularity Of The Club World Cup
PSG’s Champions League triumph was the outright winner when it came to football wagers being placed on single matches.
There was a surprise amount of interest in an event that initially struggled to sell itself to the public.
A loud fanfare announced the 2025 Club World Cup played in the US over the summer.
It seemed a tournament too far for many football fans after long domestic seasons throughout Europe.
But in the absence of the domestic game, it attracted global interest from punters looking for their football fix.
Four Club World Cup matches featured among the top 10 most popular matches for betting.
Chelsea’s 3-0 final win over PSG claimed second spot while the French champions’ semi-final with Real Madrid bagged third place.
All of football’s top 10 were games from club competitions with Portugal and Spain’s showdown in the Nations League final being the only international football tournament to feature.
Manchester United Top Of The Premier League
Manchester United are looking for a new manager after Ruben Amorim failed to meet expectations at Old Trafford.
Despite the club’s poor showing in the Premier League, it continued to hold strong international appeal among bettors.
The Red Devils’ top-flight games with Liverpool were the most popular domestic fixtures globally, with both of their 2025 meetings appearing in the top 50.
The 2-2 draw at Anfield in January was in 26th spot while United’s surprise 2-1 win at Liverpool in October was 30th in the rankings.
The only other Premier League fixture to feature was Manchester United’s 1-0 Boxing Day win over Newcastle (34th), which saw Patrick Dorgu score his first goal for the club.
Top 10 Most Popular Football Matches In 2025 For Betting
1 – Champions League final: Paris Saint Germain vs Inter Milan (5th overall)
2 – Club World Cup final: Chelsea vs Paris Saint Germain
3 – Club World Cup semi-final: Paris Saint Germain vs Real Madrid
4 – Nations League Final: Portugal vs Spain
5 – Champions League semi-final: Inter Milan vs Barcelona
6 – Champions League quarter-final: Real Madrid vs Arsenal
7 – Club World Cup semi-final: Fluminense vs Chelsea
8 – Europa League final: Tottenham vs Manchester United
9 – Club World Cup R16: Flamengo vs Bayern Munich
10 – Champions League semi-final: Paris Saint Germain vs Arsenal
Grand National Wins Race As Most Popular Global Sporting Event
The power of the Grand National to attract recreational punters saw it claim top spot as the most popular sports event for betting in 2025.
Horse racing’s most famous and popular steeplechase event was a personal triumph for trainer Willie Mullins.
He watched his son Patrick ride home 33/1 shot Nick Rockett to victory at Aintree, ahead of two more mounts from the Mullins stable.
Previous year’s winner I Am Maximus came second while Grangeclare West took third.
The 59th Super Bowl led American Football’s charge in second spot while there was strong interest in AFC and NFC Championship games, occupying fourth and sixth places.
During the opening weeks of the 2025 NFL season there were two standalone TV games from the NFL which secured spots in the top 20.
The US Masters showed its global popularity, occupying third place.
It was the only representative of golf’s four Majors in the overall top 50.
Football matches accounted for 30 of the top 50 events, while American football claimed 14 places.
Horse racing occupied the remaining five places, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup (14th) and Coral Scottish Grand National (21st).
Top 10 Most Popular Sporting Events In 2025 For Betting
1 – 2025 UK Grand National (Horse Racing)
2 – Super Bowl LIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles (American Football)
3 – 2025 US Masters (Golf)
4 – AFC Championship: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (American Football)
5 – Champions League final: Paris Saint Germain vs Inter Milan (Football)
6 – NFC Championship: Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles (American Football)
7 – Club World Cup final: Chelsea vs Paris Saint Germain (Football)
8 – Club World Cup semi-final: Paris Saint Germain vs Real Madrid (Football)
9 – Nations League Final: Portugal vs Spain (Football)
10 – Champions League semi-final: Inter Milan vs Barcelona (Football)
