8 Ways to Make Real Money During the World Cup
The World Cup is not just about filling stadiums. It’s billions of dollars moving. In terms of bets, merch, streaming deals, ad spend, and fan spending that just goes absolutely haywire for a straight month.
If you can’t capture some of that flow, you’re leaving money on the table.
Here is how to do it actually.
1. Sell Official (or Fan) Merchandise
Physical Product Actual demand.
World Cup jersey sales are out of control. Flags, scarves, face paint, foam fingers. If you have a Shopify store or even an Etsy setup, now is the time to stock it.
No stock? Print on demand. Platforms such as Printful, Printify, and others let you sell custom fan shirts with no upfront costs. And beware of licensing rules. No official crests, only original designs.
2. Sports Betting Content and Tips Pages – You don’t need to bet to make money from betting.
Build a prediction Telegram channel. You can post your picks daily. Be honest, be consistent, build a following. Once you have one, even a few hundred engaged followers, sportsbooks will pay you to send them sign-ups. Either a flat fee per referral or a revenue share on what those users lose.
Some channels doing this during a World Cup pull five figures. Not as influencers. Just as people who know football and post regularly.
3. Affiliate Marketing — Starting From Zero
This one has the highest ceiling. But it confuses people, so let’s break it down properly.
Affiliate marketing means you send people to a product or service and when they sign up or buy, you get paid. You don’t handle the product. You don’t do customer service. You just send traffic.
The question is: how do you send traffic if you have nothing?
Start with what you already use.
If you’re on TikTok, Twitter/X, or even Facebook, that’s your platform. You don’t need a website. You post content about the World Cup. Match previews. Opinions. Predictions. And in your bio or your comments, you drop a link.
That link is your affiliate link. It’s unique to you. Every time someone clicks it and converts, signs up for a sportsbook, buys a streaming subscription, orders fan gear… You earn a commission.
Where do you get those links?
Sign up to an affiliate network. Reacheffect is built specifically for this. We connect you with advertisers in sports, betting and entertainment. The signup is free. You don’t need a website to apply. You need an account and something to promote with.
Start with one offer. One link. Post about it naturally alongside your content. Don’t spam, people smell that immediately. Just recommend things you’d actually use.
The reason this has the highest ceiling is simple: it scales without extra work. A post you wrote two weeks ago can still be converting today. One viral video with your link in the bio can earn while you sleep.
It’s not instant money. But during a tournament with this much traffic, billions of eyes on football content for a month straight, even a beginner with a small following can generate something real.
If you want to learn more, here is a full guide on World Cup Betting For Affiliates.
Start Affiliate Marketing with Reacheffect
4. Social Media Content Creation
Short-form video is eating World Cup coverage alive… But in a good way.
Reaction videos. Tactical breakdowns. Historical match comparisons. Funny fan cams. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts reward volume and speed. Post during the match. Post right after.
Monetization comes through platform funds, brand deals and affiliate links in your bio. You don’t need a big audience to start. You need consistent posting and one viral moment. The tournament gives you dozens of chances at that.
5. Run a Watch Party Business
Think bigger than a backyard barbecue.
Rent a venue. Sell tickets. Partner with a local brewery or spirits brand for a sponsorship. Charge at the door, run a bar tab, take a percentage. A well-run watch party for a big match, quarterfinals, semis, the final… Can generate serious money in a single evening.
The costs are real but manageable. The margins are good when it’s packed. And during a World Cup, getting it packed is the easy part.
6. Fantasy Football Leagues and Paid Contests
Fantasy platforms like Sorare and DraftKings run paid contests during international tournaments.
If you know the players, know the form, know who’s nursing a hamstring, you have an edge. Enter paid leagues. Build a bankroll. Treat it like research, not gambling.
Some people turn a solid World Cup run into four figures. It takes discipline. But the upside is real and it’s skill-based, not pure chance.
7. Freelance Writing, Translating, and Data Work
Brands, publishers, and agencies are scrambling for World Cup content.
Sports previews. Player profiles. Betting guides. Data visualizations. Match reports in multiple languages. If you can write or translate, there’s paid work available right now on Upwork, Fiverr, and through direct outreach to sports media outlets.
Rates go up during peak tournaments. Turnaround is short. If you’re fast and accurate, you’ll stay busy the entire group stage without breaking a sweat.
8. Dropshipping Tournament-Specific Products
Beyond merch, there’s a whole category of tournament-adjacent products with real demand.
Portable projectors for watch parties. Vuvuzelas. Bracket print posters. Stadium-style horns. World Cup countdown clocks. Source them on AliExpress or CJdropshipping, set up a basic store, run targeted ads on Meta or TikTok.
The window is narrow. But so is the competition, if you move early. The best dropshippers are live two weeks before the opening match.
Comparing the Options
| Method | Startup Cost | Scalability | Time to First $$ | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merch / Print-on-Demand | Low | Medium | 2–4 weeks | Designers, ecom sellers |
| Betting Tips Content | Very Low | High | 1–2 weeks | Sports analysts, bloggers |
| Social Media Creation | None | High | Varies | Video creators |
| Watch Party Hosting | Medium | Medium | Event night | Organizers, entrepreneurs |
| Fantasy Leagues | Low–Medium | Low | Match-by-match | Stats-obsessed fans |
| Freelance / Translation | None | Medium | Days | Writers, multilingual speakers |
| Dropshipping | Medium | Medium | 1–3 weeks | Ecom operators |
| Affiliate Marketing | None | Very High | 1–3 weeks | Anyone with an audience |
Where to Actually Start
Don’t try all eight. Pick two that match what you already have — skills, platform, time.
If you’re a content person, social media and affiliate marketing run together naturally. If you’re operational; events and dropshipping. If you’re a football obsessive; tips pages and fantasy.
The World Cup lasts just over a month. That’s your window. But the accounts, the audience, the affiliate relationships you build, those stay useful long after the final whistle.
Don’t just watch the tournament. Work it.
