FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 in Review

Key Findings

Pre-tournament context focuses on commercial challenges rather than enduring opportunities

The outlook for the World Cup from a commercial point of view looked ominous. There were concerns, from corruption scandals to the ability of Russia to deliver as a host. Voices in the industry felt this uncertainty would hinder the tournament’s ability to act as a vehicle from which to drive commercial value. The tournament remained largely resilient to the challenges.

Giving the fans what they want – underlying drivers of professional sports

Competitiveness, heritage, world-renowned athletes and fan access were identified as key underlying fan drivers for the tournament, and sport more generally. The World Cup presented and delivered a combination of these, mitigating many of the aforementioned commercial risks.

France weren’t the only winners

Russian retail, consumer foodservice as well as tourism and travel sectors were among the primary beneficiaries of the World Cup 2018. More than five million tourists visited the country during the event, giving a boost to many sectors of the Russian economy.

China capitalises on commercial partnership openings

Stepping up FIFA support during recent years, Chinese companies (and official tournament partners) such as Hisense and Mengniu profited from extensive advertising and marketing activations throughout the tournament, catalysing global growth opportunities.

Domestic leagues will benefit as a result of symbiotic relationship with the international game

The World Cup saw a substantial number of players from emerging domestic football leagues take part. This will benefit and grow the commercial attractiveness of football beyond the top European leagues – a feat that will further expand the already peerless global footprint of professional football.