As Messi and Ronaldo once again take the World Cup stage, the sense of participation in the World Cup is also being elevated.

As the 2026 World Cup draws nearer, national teams have successively announced their final 26-man squads. With the release of these rosters, discussions surrounding the World Cup have begun to heat up rapidly. From title favorites to dark horse teams, from coaching strategies to the form of key players, conversations about this edition of the World Cup are being updated almost daily.

Interestingly, the 2022 World Cup, once hailed by countless fans as the "Twilight of the Gods," did not truly mark the end of an era as many had predicted.

At the time, many believed it would be the last World Cup stage for a generation of superstars, including Messi, Ronaldo, and Modrić. Especially after Messi led Argentina to lift the coveted trophy, the narrative of a "legendary farewell" became one of the most complete storylines of that tournament.

But four years later, people are discovering that the story isn't over yet.

Messi still appears on Argentina's roster, Ronaldo once again leads Portugal into the World Cup, and Modrić continues to be selected for the Croatian national team. Those names once thought to be exiting the World Cup stage are still present in the topics most followed by fans.

For many fans, this sense of familiarity is itself an integral part of the World Cup.

The Greatest Appeal of the World Cup Has Never Been Just the Matches

One of the key reasons the World Cup has become one of the most globally followed sporting events is its constant ability to generate vast amounts of discussion and debate.

Before the matches begin, people predict who will win, who will claim the Golden Boot, and which team might be the dark horse; during the group stage, the focus shifts to the prospects of advancing; and after the knockout rounds start, every high-stakes clash becomes a subject of deep analysis.

Every World Cup produces unexpected storylines. Some remember South Korea's run to the semi-finals, while others recall Morocco achieving the best result for an African nation. The beauty of the World Cup lies in the fact that while strength often dictates the outcome, there is always room for upsets and miracles.

Because of this, predicting World Cup results has gradually become a part of fan culture.

Whether in the office, at social gatherings, or on social media, discussions about match outcomes often last longer than the games themselves. Sometimes, debates about who will win a match start days before it even begins. In a way, for many fans, watching the World Cup isn't just about the matches; it's about enjoying the process of prediction.

From Pre-match Discussion to Interactive Guessing, the Way Fans Participate is Changing

If we turn back the clock a few years, the most common ways for fans to engage with the World Cup were likely chatting with friends, sharing opinions on social media, or participating in various prediction contests.

However, as online entertainment formats become more diverse, simply discussing the games no longer satisfies the needs of all users. More and more platforms are attempting to combine tournament content with interactive features, allowing users not only to watch the games but also to participate in related topics and predictions.

This is why, during major events like the World Cup or the European Championship, prediction activities always see a significant surge. Compared to traditional prediction contests, many of today's formats emphasize sustained participation. Users are no longer focused solely on the outcome of one match; instead, they make new judgments and choices as the tournament progresses.

For fans, this change is quite understandable. After all, the World Cup lasts over a month. What truly captivates people isn't just the moment the final champion is crowned, but the constantly evolving drama throughout the entire journey.

BitMart Turns Prediction into a World Cup-Long Event

Among the many World Cup-themed activities, BitMart's recently launched World Cup prediction event has garnered significant user attention.

Unlike many prediction activities centered on individual matches, BitMart has chosen to encompass the entire World Cup schedule within the event's scope. From the group stage to the final, the activity will progress in sync with the tournament, divided into multiple phases.

In terms of gameplay, the event adopts a points-based prediction format. Users can earn prediction points through a goalkeeper mini-game, completing trading tasks, inviting friends, daily check-ins, and more. These points are then used to make predictions on World Cup matches. Successful predictions yield more points, which can be used for subsequent match predictions. This design shifts the event's focus away from any single game.

If traditional prediction is like a one-off bet, BitMart wants users to follow the World Cup all the way to the final. Accumulate points from the first round of group matches, compete for rankings in the knockout stages, and continue participating right up until the champion is decided.

For many fans, this rhythm closely mirrors the actual experience of watching the World Cup.

Beyond the Prize Pool, What's the Real Appeal?

Of course, when it comes to World Cup prediction events, the prize pool is still the first thing many users look at.

According to event details, the total prize pool for this activity reaches 880,000 USDT, covering leaderboard rewards, individual rewards, token rewards, and other prizes.

However, focusing solely on the size of the prize pool might cause one to miss the more interesting aspects of this event.

For example, the event offers ways to earn points for free, allowing users to participate in predictions without any cost. Prediction results are calculated using dynamic odds, with different matches potentially offering different point returns. Besides the points leaderboard, users can also receive individual rewards based on their prediction win rate.

Furthermore, for matches involving popular teams like Brazil, France, and Argentina, the platform has set up additional reward pools. For these high-profile matches, this will undoubtedly attract more users to participate in predictions.

These design elements collectively point to one characteristic: the event's focus is not just on the final ranking, but on the entire process of participation.

Some people enjoy studying odds fluctuations, others like analyzing match results, and some simply want to see how far their supported team can go. Different types of users can find aspects of the event that interest them.

Beyond the World Cup, People are Also Seeking a Sense of Engagement

Every World Cup produces a new champion and creates new classic matches.

But for many fans, what's truly captivating about the World Cup isn't just the final scores. From pre-match predictions to post-match analysis, from supporting favorite teams to discussing match trends, the World Cup is essentially a weeks-long global conversation. The matches are the core, but the discussions, predictions, and interactions surrounding them are equally part of World Cup culture.

Events like BitMart's World Cup prediction are essentially turning what fans naturally do – predict matches, discuss results, and follow team performances – into a form of sustained interactive participation.

As the World Cup officially kicks off, various prediction and interactive activities surrounding the event are entering their most exciting phase. For fans, having an additional way to participate beyond just watching the game might be another kind of enjoyment the World Cup brings.