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Posted: Tue 7th Jul 2026
7 min read
England are in the final eight, and the Mexico game was pure theatre. Although a lightning storm in Mexico City delayed the kick-off by an hour to 2.00 a.m., England won 3-2.
The government backed the moment too, allowing pubs in England and Wales to stay open until 5.00 am, with no paperwork for venues. The quarterfinal is a friendlier slot. England play Norway in Miami on Saturday, 11 July, kick-off 10.00 pm UK time.
While pubs, bars and cafes are likely to see the biggest boost, businesses of all kinds can benefit by understanding how customer habits change during major sporting events. And with a little planning, you can make the most of the tournament.
Hospitality businesses are expected to see the biggest uplift as fans head out to watch matches together. Retailers selling food, drinks and party essentials could also experience increased demand.
But even if you don’t run a customer-facing business, the tournament can still influence how and when people spend their money. Customers may delay shopping, engage less with marketing during kick-off or change their usual routines around match days. Understanding these shifts can help you plan promotions, staffing and communications more effectively.
This is not new. Major football tournaments have delivered measurable benefits for hospitality businesses before.
When the last men's World Cup began, ONS recorded food and beverage services growing 2.2%, the biggest driver of consumer-facing services that month, with pubs and takeaways reporting higher turnover.
Early signs suggest this year’s tournament is having a similar effect. Square's payment data for 11 to 27 June points to pub and bar revenue up around 90% during matches. Dojo and The Oxford Partnership found spending up 17.3% in England's first fortnight, with drinkers staying longer.
For most businesses, however, the biggest opportunity isn’t necessarily higher spending overall – it’s understanding when customers are most engaged and planning around those moments.
A big tournament can nudge national figures, but it mostly redistributes money rather than making more of it. For example, the month the 2022 World Cup ended, GDP fell 0.5%, with sport and recreation down 17% as domestic fixtures paused, leaving the quarter flat.
For your business, the lesson is timing, not windfall. Spending clusters around matches and thins out elsewhere, so plan for the shift rather than banking on a boom.
The government has supported the sector through the knockouts. For England and Scotland matches, it extended licensing hours in England and Wales automatically, with no Temporary Event Notice needed.
For matches kicking off up to 10.00 pm, the extension works like this:
Kick-off between 5.00 pm and 9.00 pm: open until 1.00 am
Kick-off after 9.00 pm up to 10.00 pm: open until 2.00 am
The overnight Mexico game fell outside those hours, so the government used a separate power to allow pubs to stay open until 5.00 am just for that night.
Saturday's quarter-final kicks off at 10.00 pm, so you can serve until 2.00 am with no paperwork. This only helps if you are already licensed to sell alcohol until 11.00 pm that day.
If England beat Norway, the semi-final is on Wednesday, 15 July at 8.00 pm, which would allow you to trade until 1.00 am on a work night.
Polly Dhaliwal, COO of Enterprise Nation, notes:
"We welcome relief that cuts admin for hard-pressed venues. Extensions that remove the need for individual applications are a sensible, practical step.
"We are also clear-eyed. Late kick-offs move trade around rather than simply adding to it, and the benefit is uneven. For most of our members the win is a marketing moment, not a windfall.
"The football will not last forever, but a good week of trade, a smart campaign or a happier team can. Play the fixtures that matter to you, and leave the rest on the bench."
Your customers' attention sits elsewhere on match nights. Spending shifts towards drinks, food, takeaways and screens, and away from other leisure and retail.
If your customers are watching England on Saturday night, they’re less likely to be browsing your website or responding to marketing emails at kick-off. Instead, think about reaching them earlier in the day or later the following morning (depending on how the game goes).
At the same time, the tournament offers plenty of opportunities to join the conversation. A themed offer, timely social media posts or a football-inspired email campaign can help your business stay relevant without requiring a huge marketing budget.
If you employ people, late kick-offs mean tired staff and last-minute requests. Set expectations early, and a clear line on rotas and screens beats a scramble on the day.
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Before Saturday, consider taking a few simple steps:
Plan any marketing activity around the fixture rather than during kick-off.
Review staffing levels and confirm rotas well in advance.
If you run a hospitality business, check your licence and understand the temporary licensing extensions.
Create a simple football-themed promotion or social media post to engage customers while excitement is high.
The FIFA World Cup won’t affect every business in the same way, but it will influence how customers spend their time and attention.
For some businesses, that could mean a busy night serving football fans. For others, it might simply mean tweaking the timing of a marketing campaign or planning staff availability around key fixtures. Either way, businesses that stay flexible and respond to customer behaviour are often the ones that come out ahead. With England still in the tournament, there’s still plenty of opportunity to score a win for your business.
