A visitor enjoys the World Cup Fan Carnival in a commercial area of Xuhui district, Shanghai. (Photo: Chen Yuyu)
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup captivates football fans around the globe, World Cup fever has spread into daily life in China. Match updates play on elevator screens, shoppers gather around live broadcasts at malls, and jerseys and mascot-themed bag charms are a common sight on the streets.
Chinese fans' enthusiasm for the World Cup has boosted spending on licensed merchandise, dining and tourism. This surge has given fresh momentum to consumer spending and the sports and cultural industries.
Fans' enthusiasm for the World Cup has fueled a surge in late-night spending, with demand rising sharply for barbecue, crayfish, burgers and fried chicken. Watching matches over food has become a popular pastime for football fans.
Across China, shopping districts, barbecue restaurants and bars have extended business hours, introduced football-themed offerings and enhanced the viewing experience to attract customers.
Watching matches at home has driven continued growth in late-night food delivery orders, including barbecue, beer, coffee, porridge and soup. Since June 30, Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com has introduced "must-have meals," a feature that has attracted nearly 200 restaurant brands and includes AI-powered menu recommendations.
Consumers shop for World Cup merchandise at the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo: Shi Bufa)
With many World Cup matches taking place between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. Beijing time, watching football over breakfast has become a new trend.
At a long-established teahouse in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, diners gather around a large screen to enjoy Cantonese dim sum while following the matches. Online searches in Guangdong for nearby teahouses serving morning tea increased 8.5 times year on year between June 11 and July 1, according to food delivery giant Meituan.
Fans now have more venues to watch World Cup matches. More than 1,200 cinemas in over 150 cities across China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been authorized to screen live matches.
In addition, 24-hour bars, hotpot restaurants, cafes, bathhouses and outdoor campsites have also become popular venues for young people to watch World Cup matches.
According to online travel agency LY.com, bookings for hotel rooms equipped with home-theater setups have risen 47 percent year on year during the tournament. Meituan reported that searches for "World Cup viewing" increased 685 percent from the previous month, while searches for 24-hour bathhouses rose 90 percent.
A customer browses World Cup-themed cultural and creative products at a 2026 World Cup pop-up store in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo: Long Wei)
The tournament is also boosting sales of jerseys and licensed merchandise. Official jerseys have become one of the most sought-after products, not only among football fans but also among consumers embracing sports-inspired fashion.
Jerseys of popular teams and star players have become best-selling items on e-commerce platforms. According to JD.com, sales of football jerseys rose more than 60-fold year on year over the past month, while searches for "World Cup jerseys" increased 5.5 times. Jerseys of teams such as Brazil, France and England have sold out in some sizes.
Licensed souvenirs are also proving popular. At a World Cup-themed pop-up store in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, nearly 100 officially licensed products, including jerseys, footballs, mascot toys, keychains, mugs and cushions, are on sale.
FIFA has opened official flagship stores on Chinese e-commerce platforms, offering a wide range of licensed products. Plush toys, bag charms and other items featuring the World Cup trophy and the tournament's three mascots are among the best-selling products.
Labubu, the best-known character from Pop Mart's The Monsters franchise, appeared at the tournament's opening ceremony as a special guest, becoming the first Chinese original intellectual property to participate in a FIFA World Cup opening celebration. The Monsters' collaboration with the World Cup has also proved popular.