Mega Millions' July 31 Draw Doubles Down on the Number 4

Thursday night's Mega Millions drawing had a favorite number, and it wasn't shy about it. The winning combination for July 31, 2026 came up 4, 18, 26, 43, 51, with a Mega Ball of 4 — meaning the number 4 pulled double duty, showing up once in the main set and once more as the Mega Ball itself. If you've ever had a "lucky number," tonight it was showing off.

Nobody matched all six to take home the jackpot, so the prize keeps rolling along. That means the next drawing is now sitting at an estimated $60,000,000, with a cash option of $25,500,000, up from the previous estimate of $50,000,000 (cash option $21,500,000). Not a moon-shot jump, but a healthy little climb — the kind of jackpot growth that quietly makes you double-check your ticket a second time, just in case.

The number 4 basically bought a season pass to this drawing.

As always, plenty of players still walked away with something even without the big prize — matching a handful of the main numbers, or catching that Mega Ball, is enough to turn a couple of dollars into a nice little win. If you played and you're not sure whether your ticket is one of them, it's worth taking a slow, careful look rather than trusting memory alone. Our guide to checking your numbers without losing your mind walks through the process so you don't have to squint at a crumpled ticket under a gas station light.

No jackpot winner also means the drawing joins a growing list of recent near-misses across Mega Millions' rotation. It wasn't long ago the game leaned into an entirely different vibe with a low-key set of numbers — you can revisit that one, and see how the numbers compare, in our recap of Mega Millions' July 14 draw. Every drawing has its own personality, and this one clearly wanted to make a statement about the number 4.

For the full breakdown of Thursday's results, prize tiers, and how many winners landed at each level, the official numbers and payout details are always posted over at megamillions.com. It's the most reliable place to confirm anything before you start planning what to do with a prize.

Looking ahead, all eyes are now on that $60 million jackpot. It's not the kind of number that makes headlines around the world, but it's still the sort of prize that could rearrange somebody's entire year. If you're planning to play the next drawing, do it the way you'd want to do anything with your money — for fun, within a budget you're comfortable with, and without any illusions that it owes you anything.

For a running tally of every Mega Millions drawing, including tonight's, our Mega Millions results page keeps everything organized in one place so you're not digging through old tickets to remember what happened last week. Good luck out there, and maybe give the number 4 a little nod of respect on your way to picking your next set.