IGD shopper sentiment tracking reveals a clear opportunity for retailers to drive event-led sales during the 2026 World Cup, with 36% of UK adults tempted to spend more on food and groceries to celebrate the tournament.
This is up from 23% ahead of the 2022 World Cup, which took place in November and December, when festive spending was also competing for share of wallet.
The findings, which form part of IGD’s ongoing World Cup 2026 analysis, point to stronger engagement with event-led food and drink occasions this summer.
Spend will build with tournament momentum
IGD’s research highlights that spending will not be evenly distributed across the tournament, with shopper behaviour heavily influenced by on-pitch performance.
Almost four in ten shoppers (39%) say they will spend more if their team performs well, up from 26% in 2022. This, IGD argues, creates a dynamic sales opportunity where demand can build rapidly as teams progress and interest intensifies.
Overall engagement is also conditional. While 44% of shoppers plan to celebrate the World Cup, this rises to 59% when including those whose participation depends on their team’s success.
Annie McGoff, Shopper Analyst at IGD, commented: “Our findings reinforce the need for retailers and suppliers to prepare for eventualities and respond in real time as the tournament progresses, aligning promotions and messaging to key moments.”
Home viewing to underpin grocery demand
IGD’s shopper insights show that the majority of World Cup viewing will take place in the home, supporting grocery led missions.
Demand for hosting, sharing and group occasions is likely to grow as 81% of shoppers plan to watch matches at home, while 34% intend to watch at a friend’s or family member’s home.
Meanwhile, away from home viewing remains significant, as 35% plan to watch matches in pubs, bars or similar venues, skewing towards younger and more affluent groups.
This mix of behaviours underlines the importance of planned shopping missions, as well as top up and convenience purchases linked to social viewing occasions.
Value and convenience to shape spend
IGD’s wider World Cup analysis shows that shoppers will balance participation with ongoing cost pressures, placing greater emphasis on value and planning.
Promotions will play a key role, with 46% of shoppers looking out for them when making World Cup-driven food and grocery purchases.
At the same time, IGD expects later kick-off times to shift consumption habits, driving demand for convenient, easy to prepare meals and last-minute purchases.
McGoff added: “Value communication, price cues, and bundled offers will be critical for converting intent into spend.”
Free World Cup insights
IGD’s World Cup 2026 analysis is tracking how retailers, suppliers, and operators can unlock value from the tournament through targeted activation, category planning, and real-time execution.
The coverage spans shopper sentiment tracking, event-specific insight, and intelligence on how missions, channels and occasions evolve during the competition.