Can the World Cup boost fry sales?

The first matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been played in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament is typically associated with a surge in French fry consumption. Is that also the case this year, and what can the sector expect?While interest from the Netherlands may be more limited, visitor numbers are expected to reach a record high. The tournament is being boosted by the expansion of the World Cup, which this year features 48 teams instead of 32, resulting in 104 matches rather than 64. The previous attendance record is also held by the United States. In 1994, 3.5 million people attended a match, compared with 3.4 million in Qatar four years ago.Imports up 200%Over the course of the 40-day tournament, vast quantities of fast food will naturally be consumed, including French fries. As such, the event is typically accompanied by a peak in fry consumption. During the last World Cup, Qatar’s imports of French fries from Europe increased by 200%.However, these were relatively modest volumes, reaching a maximum of 3,594 tonnes in a single month. Stocks were clearly built up in advance, as imports dropped sharply again in November and December, when the tournament itself was being played.These figures only cover frozen fries exported from EU member states to Qatar. The country itself has not published its own trade statistics for more than a decade. France: +37.5%The previous World Cup, held in France in 2018, also showed a clear spike in imports. Volumes increased by 37.5%. It should be noted, however, that the absolute volumes were much larger than those seen in Qatar. An additional 15,793 tonnes were imported. Imports typically peak during the spring months, but the increase was noticeably stronger in the run-up to the football tournament.The situation is different for the three host countries this year. Canada is largely self-sufficient in its fry requirements. During the first four months of this year, around 20,000 tonnes of fries were imported, almost entirely from the United States. This was virtually unchanged from the same period last year. Belgium and the Netherlands export only small volumes to Canada, amounting to a few hundred tonnes.US imports declineThe United States imported 461,503 tonnes of fries during the first four months of this year, a decline of 6% compared with the same period last year. Of this total, 386,618 tonnes (84%) originated from Canada. Belgium ranked second with 47,591 tonnes (10.3%). Egypt surprisingly occupied third place, while the Netherlands ranked fourth with 10,784 tonnes (2.3%).Whether a surge in fry demand is already visible remains highly questionable. The United States has substantial domestic fry production and stocks, while also benefiting from the large potato crop harvested in neighbouring Canada.Canada benefits, US loses groundMexico is considerably more dependent on imports to meet its fry demand. The country does not publish its own import statistics. EU exports to Mexico remain at a consistently high level. In January and February, imports amounted to 7,859 tonnes. This was significantly lower than a year earlier, when imports reached 12,244 tonnes.By far the largest supplier of fries to Mexico is the United States. Between January and April, exports exceeded 60,000 tonnes. However, this was 31% lower than during the same period last year. Canada is also an important supplier, exporting 28,837 tonnes to Mexico. This represents an increase of 27% compared with the first four months of 2025.Self-sufficientUp to and including April, there is no clear trend visible in the figures for the three host countries. Thanks to strong potato harvests and high fry production levels, both the United States and Canada are able to meet domestic demand while also exporting to Mexico. European exporters play little or no role in this trade flow.