As the referee's whistle echoes through the stadiums of the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the US, Canada and Mexico, the major Chinese manufacturing hub of Yiwu — thousands of miles away — has already completed its global delivery of fan merchandise through its highly responsive supply chain.

According to Yiwu customs, exports of sporting goods and equipment from Yiwu totaled 2.83 billion yuan (about $417.85 million) in the first quarter of this year, up 12 percent year-on-year. Products related to the World Cup accounted for a significant share of that growth.

Pan-African multilingual news network Africanews reported that retailers across Africa and around the world rely on Yiwu's manufacturing efficiency for everything from banners and flags to diverse fan merchandise, making Chinese manufacturing an indispensable force supporting major international sporting events behind the scenes.

Meanwhile, the British industry publication Campaign Asia-Pacific noted that Yiwu supplies roughly 70 percent of the global market for World Cup-related products, calling the city one of the most reliable barometers of global football consumer demand.

Why has Yiwu consistently managed to seize opportunities created by the world's premier sporting events?

Plush toys for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are displayed at the Yiwu International Expo Center in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, East China. (Photo: Gong Xianming)

The answer lies in a quiet transformation taking place among Yiwu's merchants, who are moving from simply meeting market demand to actively shaping it through design and securing competitive advantages through intellectual property. Behind this shift is a profound transition from executing orders to creating high-value designs.

Intellectual property rights have become a powerful competitive edge, enabling businesses to move past contract manufacturing and toward shaping industry standards. The era of relying solely on price competition has passed. Today, independent intellectual property rights have become a driver of both profitability and market recognition.

Wen Congjian, a local merchant, began designing World Cup jerseys well in advance while simultaneously applying for overseas design patents. For this tournament alone, he has filed more than 40 design patent applications. Protected by these patents, his products can command price premiums of up to 20 percent. An increasing number of Yiwu businesses are using intellectual property rights to safeguard innovation, signaling a broader evolution in Chinese manufacturing from a passive participant in global value chains to an active creator of standards and rules.

At the same time, a growing emphasis on creativity and branding is reshaping the way Yiwu businesses compete.

Luo Tianle, another Yiwu merchant, secured full-category licensing rights for several national teams and expanded his product offerings into cultural and creative merchandise. Niche products such as pet jerseys and skin-friendly infant and toddler jerseys have enabled him to tap into emerging consumer trends while avoiding the race to the bottom associated with low-priced competition.

Having experienced multiple World Cup cycles characterized by intense price wars, many Yiwu merchants now place greater value on overseas reputations and long-term brand development. Pursuing high-quality growth is increasingly becoming a shared business philosophy.

Underlying all of this is the confidence that comes from China’s unparalleled industrial ecosystem.

World Cup orders are typically massive in volume, tight in schedule and demanding in terms of production requirements. Yet these are precisely the conditions under which Yiwu excels. The city possesses a comprehensive industrial chain covering design, prototyping, fabric sourcing, sewing, printing and quality inspection. In some cases, a football can move from an initial design sketch to a finished product in less than a week.

A businessman buys World Cup-related products at the Yiwu International Expo Center in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, East China. (Photo: Jin Sicheng)

This exceptional supply-chain resilience, supported by China's vast manufacturing network, enables innovative designs and patented products to be rapidly transformed into market-ready goods for customers worldwide.

Yiwu's connection with the World Cup reflects the broader global recognition that Chinese manufacturing is earning. When the jerseys worn and flags waved by football fans around the world increasingly bear the label "Made in China," it represents more than market share — it is a vote of confidence.

That confidence extends well beyond football arenas. In Mexico City, more than 95 percent of the shuttle buses serving football fans are Chinese-brand new-energy coaches. Meanwhile, urban rail projects such as Mexico City Metro Line 1, built with Chinese companies' participation, are helping connect venues and improve transportation efficiency. From flags and plush toys to green transportation solutions, Chinese manufacturing is becoming deeply integrated into the global sports economy through comprehensive, end-to-end participation.

From a patented football jersey sold overseas to Chinese-made electric buses operating around World Cup venues, the role of Chinese manufacturing on the global sporting stage has undergone a fundamental transformation. It provides the essential infrastructure and material support that keeps the global sports economy moving.

The final whistle of a World Cup tournament will eventually blow. The momentum behind upgrading Chinese manufacturing, however, shows no sign of slowing. If anything, it's entering its prime.