Football’s forthcoming 2026 World Cup in North America should boost demand for frozen finger foods and appetisers throughout Europe, reports Jonathan Thomas.
(Note: This article was published before the opening of the World Cup, as it was featured in our May-June issue)
Arguably, the biggest event on the global sporting calendar during the summer of 2026 will be the football World Cup, which is being staged in the three North American countries. The tournament will feature 48 teams (many of them from Europe), climaxing in the final on July 19 at New Jersey Stadium in the US.
Major sporting events such as this have long been recognised by food and drink manufacturers as an ideal opportunity to increase revenue, due to the many social occasions (both in-home and externally) which revolve around them. Globally, around 6 billion people are expected to watch some or all the games, equivalent to 73% of the world’s population.
The forthcoming World Cup is expected to attract casual viewers as well as dedicated football fans, with UK expenditure on food and drink during the tournament alone likely to reach around GBP2bn.
According to data from NielsenIQ, over three-quarters of the world’s football fans in Europe and North America are expected to either host or attend in-home social occasions based around matches during the tournament, with 56% planning to watch games from their living rooms, often with friends and family invited over.
For European fans, the time difference with North America means that many games will take place during late afternoon or early evening, with the result that occasions such as after-work gatherings and ‘big nights in’ are likely to be commonplace. From a dietary perspective, the tournament’s venues may help increase the appeal of foods based on American or Mexican cuisines. In-home entertaining and social occasions have traditionally been a profitable source of business for the frozen food industry, even in the absence of major sporting events.
Although these are typically skewed towards times of the year such as Christmas and New Year, the warmer months of spring and summer are also a popular time for hosting parties for those households with gardens. One of the effects of the global economic downturn has been an increase in the number of people eschewing eating out for reasons of cost, instead hosting informal parties in their homes.
Other factors such as the need to arrange childcare have also contributed towards this trend. Many younger owners are beginning to appreciate the many benefits of socialising within the home, with the formal dinner parties of the past having been largely replaced by a more relaxed, informal style of casual dining. According to data from M&S Food, 36% of UK consumers claim to host a social gathering in their homes at least once during a typical month, rising to 56% of those aged under 24.
Separate data from Mintel indicates that 70% of UK adults hosted in-home social gatherings in 2025, with around half doing so at least once a month. Research from furniture manufacturer DFS entitled ‘How Britain Hosts’ suggests that the ideal night in with friends and/or family involves a laid-back shared meal (e.g. a buffet), combined with some form of entertainment (e.g. a film or games).
The research found that 28% of consumers are enjoying spending time at home more now than before, while 82% say they are more likely to host a social gathering compared with two years previously. Another factor that has contributed to the expansion of the in-home entertainment market in recent years is the increasing popularity of video streaming services. On a global basis, an estimated 1.5 billion people use subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services.
Europe has one of the world’s largest regional markets – according to data from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), digital streaming platforms accounted for 41% of Europeans’ viewing time during an average week in 2025, ahead of linear television (35%). The share taken by digital streaming platforms rises to 44% for millennials, as it is younger consumers driving much of the current growth within this sector.
According to data from Eurostat, almost two-thirds of people aged 16-74 in the EU region use the internet to stream television or videos, while 78% of households pay for at least one streaming subscription.
This compares with 45% for EU households paying for three or more streaming subscriptions. Streaming adoption rates amongst the overall population are notably high in European countries such as Finland (93%), the Netherlands (90%) and Denmark (89%). US platforms dominate the European market for streaming services, led by Netflix with a share of 53%. This figure decreases to 19% for Amazon Prime Video and 12% for Disney+.
To read the entire article, please access your complimentary e-copy of Frozen Food Europe May-June, 2026 issue here.