The 2026 FIFA World Cup is in full swing, and Team U.S.A. is flying high after winning its first two group-stage matches to secure a place in the knockout rounds. Co-hosts Canada and Mexico have followed suit, while Lionel Messi has already lit up the tournament with a hat trick last week, adding to the excitement sweeping across the continent. In the meantime, Essentially Sports brings you an awesome new promotion from America’s No.1 trading app, Novig.

It’s called the BLUE BOOT JACKPOT. And Novig is giving away 500,000 Novig Cash through it. You can pick the top goalscorer at the World Cup for a chance to share in 500,000 Novig Cash. You can track your progress and follow the leaderboard at Novig.

How to claim your 500,000 Novig Cash?

Download the Novig app and opt in to claim your free entry token. You can receive up to 3 free entry tokens. However, each one must be claimed during its designated claim window. After claiming a token, place a wager on the Golden Boot “Top Goalscorer” market by selecting any player you think will finish as the tournament’s top scorer. 

Apply your free token to that wager. The selection must have: 

• A minimum trade of 5 Novig Cash 
• Odds of -200 or longer

Remember, each token has its own window. Token 1 is live now and closes on June 17th at exactly 12:00 AM Eastern Time (ET). Meanwhile, Token 2 is available from June 18 through June 23 at midnight (ET), so you must use it before that deadline. 

Token 3 becomes available on June 24 and stays open until just before the first Round of 32 match on June 28, around 3:00 PM ET. Once each deadline passes, that token is locked and can no longer be used. You must choose to participate or activate your entry during each specific time period. 

If your selected player wins the Golden Boot, you’ll receive a share of the 500,000 Novig Cash prize pool. The prize is split equally among everyone who picked the same winning player, meaning your payout depends on how many people made the correct pick. 

You can also use multiple tokens on the eventual Golden Boot winner. And each winning token earns its own share of the 500,000 Novig Cash prize pool. Because the prize is divided among everyone who picked the winner, choosing a less popular player can result in a larger payout if they finish as the top goalscorer. 

That’s not even the end. As a bonus, you’ll earn 500 Novig Points for every goal your selected player scores after you have placed your entry. And the best part is that even if your player doesn’t end up winning, you will get these points.

That’s not all. You can also get the Novig welcome offer.

How to claim the Novig welcome offer?

In addition to the 500,000 Novig Cash, if you trade $5, you can get $50 in Novig Coin. If you want to get this offer as well, you need to follow a simple process. 

• Sign up for a new Novig account.
• Complete the identity verification process,
• Enter the promo code ‘ESSENTIALLY’ when prompted
• Simply trade $5 on any Novig market to activate the offer. 
• Novig will credit $50 to your account when the qualifying trade settles

It is important to note, however, that you will need a valid U.S. residential address in a state where the service is licensed.

FIFA World Cup Picks for this week

The FIFA World Cup always seems to have a few surprises up its sleeve, with underdogs punching well above their weight. After all, who would have thought that tiny Cape Verde, World Cup debutants with a population of just over 500,000, would hold favorites Spain to a 0-0 draw? Or the Democratic Republic of Congo holding Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal to a 1-1 draw?

In battles between David and Goliath, David sometimes finds a way to survive. But looking ahead to the next round of fixtures, we’re still giving Goliath the edge.

Netherlands vs. Sweden – Netherlands to win

Germany vs. Ivory Coast – Germany to win

Ecuador vs Curacao – Ecuador to win

Tunisia vs Japan- Japan to win

Note: Must be 21+ to use Novig. Please play responsibly. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary.