Visa Insights: FIFA World Cup 2026™ Fever Boosts Streaming, Dining, and Food Delivery Spending in UAE

Visa, the Official Payment Technology Partner of FIFA World Cup 2026™, today released data highlighting spending patterns in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the tournament.

Analysis by Visa Consulting & Analytics shows increased spending on Visa consumer cards across streaming services, sports merchandise, food delivery and dining categories throughout the Group Stage and Round of 32 matches (11 June–4 July).

Streaming and sports merchandise spending increased as the tournament began

With the tournament getting started, spending on cable and streaming  services increased 42% per day between 10 and 23 June compared to preceding days. Elevated interest in sports-related purchases was also observed in those early days. Within a week of kick-off, online spending on sporting goods and merchandise increased 24% compared to preceding days. 

Fast food delivery and dining spend increased during the latter stages of the tournament

As the tournament progressed into the final weekend of the Group Stage (26–28 June), fast food delivery spending increased 12% compared to the same weekend in the previous month. Meanwhile, weekday restaurant dine-in spending rose 16% during the Round of 32 matches (particularly between 30 June and 2 July) compared to weekdays before the tournament, as key knockout fixtures helped drive midweek gatherings and socializing. 

“Global sporting moments like the FIFA World Cup 2026™ create a powerful ripple effect beyond the pitch, bringing people together while driving meaningful activity for local businesses and communities. As a proud partner of FIFA World Cup 2026™, we’re excited to see how fans engage during these moments, and the role of digital payments in supporting economic impact and connected commerce,” said Nicolas Khoury, SVP, Head of Visa Consulting & Analytics, CEMEA, Visa.