World Cup lifts food delivery and dining in Saudi Arabia and UAE

Online spending on fast food, groceries, and restaurants rose 37% YoY.

Consumer card spending rose during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage and Round of 32 matches, with higher activity recorded in food delivery, telecommunications, and sports merchandise, according to Visa.

Between 11 June and 4 July, online spending on fast food, groceries, and restaurants was 37% higher than the same period a year earlier.

The increase accelerated toward the end of the group stage and into the Round of 32.

Online grocery purchases rose 33% from 25 June to 5 July compared with the days immediately before, whilst online restaurant orders were 25% higher on tournament weekends from 18 June to 4 July than on weekends before the competition began.

Match days also influenced ordering patterns.

During Saudi Arabia’s game against Spain on 21 June, fast food orders placed between 5 pm and 8 pm were 43% higher than the average Sunday in previous weeks.

For Saudi Arabia’s final Group Stage match against Cape Verde on 26 June, orders between 11 pm and 2 am increased 19% compared with a typical Friday in the preceding weeks.

In the UAE, fast food delivery spending during the final Group Stage weekend (26–28 June) was 12% higher than the same weekend a month earlier.

Restaurant dining also increased during the Round of 32 matches, with weekday dine-in spending up 16% between 30 June and 2 July compared with weekdays before the tournament, as knockout-stage matches prompted more social gatherings.