The Sin of Football Betting

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is underway and its resonance is being felt across the globe. Conversations about favorite teams, predictions for the champion, and star players set to compete are growing louder by the day.

The 2026 World Cup schedule has become one of the most searched pieces of information among the public, particularly football fans. Every development related to the quadrennial tournament consistently draws public attention.

Behind the high public interest in football matches, however, a negative side has also emerged: the growing practice of betting and gambling that exploits the momentum of major competitions.

Gambling or betting is an activity that wagers something of value in the hope of gaining profit from an uncertain outcome. In the context of football, this practice commonly takes the form of score predictions, guessing match winners, and various types of bets that promise instant gains.

Football betting is one of the most common forms of gambling to surface when major football competitions are held. Beyond conventional methods involving bookmakers or specific groups, the practice has now also grown in digital form through various websites and applications offering easy transactions.

A lecturer at the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), Dr. Isman, S.H.I., S.H., M.H., explained that Islam fundamentally permits entertainment and games as long as they carry positive value and do not contradict the principles of Islamic law.

"However, what needs to be understood is that when an activity contains elements of gambling or al-maysir, its ruling changes to haram," Isman explained on Friday (26/6/2026).

Football betting, Isman continued, falls under the category of al-maysir because it involves wagering wealth on the outcome of a match that is uncertain. In practice, the profit gained by one party comes from the loss of another.

"It is no longer entertainment at that point; it has entered the form of gambling that is explicitly prohibited in Islam. It brings no benefit whatsoever," he said.

Isman affirmed that the ruling on gambling is haram. This prohibition is based on the word of Allah in Surah Al-Maidah verse 90, which describes gambling as an abomination and an act of Satan that must be avoided. As follows:

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْاَنْصَابُ وَالْاَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطٰنِ فَاجْتَنِبُوْهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُوْنَ

"O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, sacrificing on stone altars, and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful."

From the hadith, Isman explained that the principle of guarding oneself from sin and moral responsibility was affirmed by the Rasulullah SAW as follows:

كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ، وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ

"Each of you is a guardian and each of you will be asked about those under his guardianship." (Muttafaq 'Alaih)

The Secretary of the Muhammadiyah Tarjih and Tajdid Council for Central Java Regional Leadership explained that the prohibition of gambling is not only due to the element of wagering, but also because of the harm it causes to individuals and society alike.

"Technological developments do not change the legal status of gambling. Football betting conducted online carries the same ruling as conventional gambling," Isman said.

The legal ruling is not determined by the medium used, but by the nature of the activity itself. As long as there are elements of wagering wealth, speculation, and profit derived from another party's loss, the activity remains categorized as gambling.

Online and conventional gambling are fundamentally the same in character, even if packaged differently. The presence of digital applications, electronic payment systems, and various modern features often makes gambling appear simpler and less dangerous than it is.

The impact of online and conventional gambling is felt not only by the individual involved, but can also ripple out to their family and surrounding community. Financial loss is the most visible consequence.

Many people have lost their savings, become trapped in debt, and experienced family conflict as a result of gambling habits. Beyond that, gambling also has the potential to trigger addiction, making it difficult for a person to control their own behavior.

For Isman, the gambling phenomenon becomes increasingly concerning when it targets young people who are enjoying various sporting events, including football. The profits promised often lead to losses far greater in return.

Prevention efforts through education, family guidance, and the strengthening of religious values are therefore important. "Parents need to monitor internet use and instill an understanding of the dangers of gambling from an early age. At the same time, young people also need to be guided to enjoy all forms of sporting competition, including football, as healthy entertainment and sport, not as an opportunity to seek profit through betting," he said.

Isman grounded this in the following verse from Surah At-Tahrim verse 6:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا قُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ:

"O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from the fire of hell."

In his view, those who wish to leave behind a gambling habit need to begin by stopping the practice entirely, repenting for what they have done, and committing not to return to it. Time and energy previously spent on gambling can be redirected toward more productive activities such as sport, the arts, academic study, or beneficial social activities.

Writer: Genis Dwi Gustati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid

Editor: Al Habiib Josy Asheva