The upcoming FIFA World Cup is expected to be the largest commercial sporting event in history, with FIFA projecting record-breaking $13 billion in revenue across the 2026 tournament cycle. But beyond the goals, rivalries, and celebrations lies something even bigger: a global emotional economy that changes consumer behaviour in real time.
A new study by Click Intelligence explores how football increasingly influences spending habits, hospitality demand, advertising engagement, retail behaviour, and social commerce during major tournaments.
From stress spending during penalty shootouts to celebration spending after dramatic victories, the emotional highs and lows of football are driving measurable shifts in how consumers spend money.
The report identifies a growing behavioural trend known as “emotional spending,” in which consumers make impulsive purchasing decisions influenced by excitement, anxiety, national pride, social participation, and emotional volatility during live sporting events.
Key Stats
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FIFA predicts the 2026 World Cup will generate a record-breaking $13 billion in revenue, making it the most lucrative sporting event in history.
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Americans spent $19 billion across restaurants, transport, and accommodation during the 2025 Super Bowl.
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Spending within 1km of English football stadiums rises by an average of 4.1% on matchdays.
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Average football fan spending reaches £138 per matchday outside of ticket costs alone.
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37% of Gen Z and 39% of Millennials admit to “doom spending” during periods of emotional or economic stress.
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74% of sports fans now follow sport through social media, turning tournaments into real-time digital commerce events.
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49% of Gen Z notice advertising more during sporting events.
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Restaurant and bar spending near the Champions League Final increased by 7.4% during the event.
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FIFA’s revenues are expected to rise by 73% by the end of the current World Cup cycle.
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Fans continue spending billions supporting teams despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
Football: Emotional Economy
Football is no longer simply entertainment. Major tournaments now function as large-scale emotional economies capable of influencing how consumers spend, travel, socialise, and engage with brands in real time.
During events like the FIFA World Cup, emotional intensity rises dramatically. Excitement, anxiety, tribal loyalty, optimism, disappointment, and fear of missing out all contribute to impulsive consumer behaviour that businesses can increasingly track through measurable spending patterns.
The more emotionally invested fans become, the more reactive their spending behaviour becomes.
Click Intelligence’s research identified four major emotional spending behaviours that consistently emerge during major football tournaments.
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Celebration Spending
Winning drives reward-based spending behaviour.
Last-minute goals, qualification victories, dramatic comebacks, and major upsets regularly trigger spikes in:
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Food delivery orders
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Pub and bar spending
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Merchandise purchases
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Transport demand
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Nightlife activity
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Group spending behaviour
This behaviour mirrors the emotional release fans experience after positive sporting moments.
The scale of this effect is already measurable. Americans spent $19 billion during the 2025 Super Bowl across restaurants, accommodation, and transport, while the average football fan now spends £138 per matchday, excluding ticket costs.
Football victories increasingly create short-term “celebration economies” where emotional highs temporarily override budgeting habits.
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Doom Spending & Stress Spending
Football not only influences spending during victories. High-pressure moments can also trigger emotionally driven stress spending behaviour.
Penalty shootouts, knockout fixtures, rivalry games, unexpected losses, and controversial refereeing decisions heighten emotional states, often leading consumers to seek comfort through spending.
There will be increased spending on:
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Takeaways
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Alcohol
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Impulse purchases
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Betting activity
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Convenience spending
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Emotional “treat” purchases
Research shows 37% of Gen Z and 39% of Millennials admit to doom spending during stressful periods, while more than a quarter of Americans report emotionally driven spending linked to economic anxiety.
Football appears to temporarily amplify these same emotional spending behaviours during high-stakes tournament moments, particularly among younger audiences who are already more emotionally reactive consumers.
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Tribal & Identity Spending
Football spending is increasingly identity-driven rather than purely practical.
Fans spend money not only to support teams but to reinforce belonging, national identity, and participation within a wider fan community. During major tournaments, emotional loyalty frequently overrides budgeting concerns.
This drives increased spending on:
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Shirts and merchandise
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Flags and decorations
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Watch parties
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Travel
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Hospitality experiences
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Social events
Even during periods of economic pressure, supporters continue spending billions supporting clubs and national teams because football fandom is deeply tied to identity and emotional connection.
The continued commercial growth of football reflects this behaviour. FIFA expects the 2026 World Cup to become the most commercially successful tournament in sporting history, highlighting the enormous financial power of tribal consumer behaviour.
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Social Media & Second-Screen Spending
The modern World Cup experience is no longer confined to stadiums or television screens. Football has become a fully integrated social media event.
Fans increasingly experience matches alongside:
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TikTok reactions
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Live commentary
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Memes
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Highlight clips
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Influencer content
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Live betting apps
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Ecommerce promotions
This creates what Click Intelligence describes as “second-screen spending” — where emotional reactions on social platforms directly influence purchasing behaviour during live matches.
The behavioural shift is especially visible among younger audiences:
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74% of sports fans now follow sport through social media
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72% of Gen Z sports fans consume sports content socially
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49% of Gen Z notice advertising more during sporting events
Emotionally heightened environments combined with algorithm-driven exposure create ideal conditions for impulsive purchasing behaviour, increased ad responsiveness, and real-time consumer engagement.
Football’s Local Economic Impact
Major football tournaments also generate substantial economic surges around stadiums, host cities, and fan zones.
The emotional atmosphere surrounding matches creates measurable increases in:
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Hotel demand
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Transport usage
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Restaurant spending
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Nightlife activity
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Tourism
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Local retail spending
Research already shows that spending within 1km of English football stadiums rises significantly on matchdays, while spending at restaurants and bars near the Champions League Final increased by 7.4%.
As the 2026 World Cup expands across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, local economies are expected to experience unprecedented demand spikes throughout the tournament.
Why Brands Care About Emotional Spending
Emotionally heightened sporting moments create rare periods where consumer attention, social engagement, and impulsive purchasing behaviour peak simultaneously.
For brands, this creates significant opportunities across:
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Retail
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Hospitality
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Food delivery
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Ecommerce
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Betting
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Transport
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Travel
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Entertainment
Sporting emotion increases:
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Advertising visibility
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Social engagement
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Brand recall
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Conversion opportunities
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Impulse purchasing behaviour
Businesses that understand emotional spending patterns are increasingly building campaigns around live sporting moments rather than relying solely on traditional advertising schedules.
Expert Insight
James Owen, Co-Founder of Click Intelligence, states:
“Major football tournaments are becoming real-time emotional economies. The emotional volatility of sport increasingly shapes where consumers spend, how quickly they make purchasing decisions, and which brands successfully capture attention during high-pressure moments.
The 2026 World Cup will likely become one of the largest emotional spending events ever measured, creating enormous opportunities for brands that understand how consumer behaviour changes during live sporting experiences.”
Conclusion
The FIFA World Cup is no longer just a sporting tournament. It has become one of the world’s largest emotional economies, capable of influencing consumer behaviour at enormous scale.
From celebration spending after dramatic wins to stress spending during penalty shootouts, football increasingly shapes how consumers spend money in real time.
As the 2026 World Cup approaches, businesses, marketers, retailers, and hospitality brands are preparing for what could become the most commercially influential sporting event the world has ever seen.