Not surprisingly given the unfathomable investments required to stage the tournament, discussions of return on investment are never far away for a country hosting the FIFA World Cup. For foodservice operators, the effects of what amounts to a month-long national party on sales would seem obvious, yet how much of this is simply substitution? By looking at the historical impact of both the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Football Championship on host nations over the last fifteen years, we can see that the impact on foodservice demand is mixed at best. Whilst highly-social categories like bars, pubs, and cafes can generally expect to do well, fast food operators hoping for a World Cup surge may find themselves disappointed/