England's group-stage matches in the World Cup have significantly boosted UK pubs, with an estimated 5.5 million additional pints of draught beer and cider sold compared to normal trading levels, according to data from the Oxford Partnership and the Dojo payments system.
Record sales on Saturday
Saturday's match against Panama was the biggest trading day of the tournament so far, with more than 8 million pints served. Total sales reached 8.6 million pints, approximately 1.1 million more than a typical Saturday. Sales in UK hospitality venues were 20.9% higher than on an average Saturday in June 2025 and 13% above the average Saturday trading levels seen so far this year.
Charlie Ashworth, head of data and insights at Dojo, said: "England's World Cup campaign is proving to be a real boost for hospitality businesses. We've now seen spending at pubs and bars remain consistently elevated across the tournament, with Saturday night's victory over Panama delivering another surge in trade."
Match-by-match breakdown
England's opening match against Croatia on 17 June generated an estimated 2 million additional pints, with sales up 55.5% versus normal trading. The match against Ghana on 23 June delivered a further 2.3 million extra pints, representing a 77% uplift. The Panama match added 1.1 million extra pints.
During Saturday's match, Dojo recorded a 31% increase in transactions during the hour covering kick-off and half-time, and a 43% spike in transactions during the hour when the full-time whistle sounded.
Scottish contribution
Scotland fans also contributed significantly during their team's group-stage fixtures against Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil. Scottish pubs, bars, and social clubs sold an estimated 1.3 million additional pints of draught beer and cider. During the match against Brazil on Wednesday night, sales in Scottish venues were almost 99% higher than normal.
Regional variations
The east of England and East Midlands saw the highest uplift in sales on Saturday, with 28.4% and 25.5% growth respectively, followed by London at 23.2%. Scotland saw a much more modest uplift of 3.3%.
Alison Jordan, CEO of the Oxford Partnership, said: "The World Cup has once again demonstrated the enormous value that major sporting events bring to Britain's hospitality industry. England's three group games alone have generated an estimated 5.5m additional pints for pubs across the UK, while Scotland's fixtures have delivered a further 1.3m additional pints north of the border."
Venues are expecting higher sales to continue as England progress to the knockout stage, starting with the game against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday.
