Pub spend soars 145% during England vs Argentina

The England men’s football World Cup semi-final game against Argentina on Wednesday 15 July gave pubs and bars their biggest single-day lift of the tournament, according to the latest data from payment technology company Square.

While the result was disappointing for football fans, pub and bar operators had a major boost, with transactions up 145% on the day and late-night trade (10pm-2am) up 97%.

By comparison, England’s quarter-final against Norway on 11 July saw a 40% increase in pub and bar transactions. Pubs and bars benefited even when England wasn’t playing, as the Spain vs France semi-final on 14 July still gave pubs a 26% lift.

Of England’s major cities, the top five that saw the biggest uplift in transactions at pubs, bars and restaurants on the day of England vs Argentina were Birmingham, with a 121% uplift; Southampton, up 155%; Manchester, with a 112% increase; Bristol, rising by 93%; and Sheffield with a 76% uplift in transactions.

John O’Beirne, CEO of Square International, said: “The World Cup has been an important moment for British hospitality. Football fans have turned out to support their country game after game, and England’s match against Argentina drew the largest crowds yet to pubs and bars.

“Even though England won’t be in the final, we can still expect bars and pubs to see strong trading as people tune into the final weekend of the tournament.”

UK football fans were expected to spend £898m across hospitality venues throughout the World Cup – with forecasted spending more than double the £442m generated across hospitality during the 2022 tournament.

During England’s 3-2 victory over Mexico in the early hours of 6 July, data from the British Beer & Pub Association, using figures from Oxford Partnership, stated that an extra 1.25 million pints were sold compared to a typical Sunday.

Meanwhile, Deliveroo recorded a 200% increase in pizza and burger orders following the England vs Mexico match.

The government allowed pubs to stay open until 5am that night, and previously confirmed an extension in licensing hours for pubs in England and Wales over the course of the World Cup.

Barclays Consumer Spend data revealed pub transactions hit a 2026 peak on the night of the England vs Panama match on Saturday 27 June, at five times’ the year’s daily average, equating to a 389.9% boost.