Who are the World Cup fans?
Discover who will follow the tournament
The football World Cup is by far the most popular event in sport, representing the world’s biggest viewing spectacle.
Here we draw on our TGI Global Quick View data – which provides a harmonised view of internet-using consumers across 36 countries worldwide – to reveal five key insights into World Cup fans around the world.
The findings reveal key opportunities for marketers to understand and target World Cup fans across the globe.
Host country USA has one of the lowest levels of interest in the competition
% who say they follow the FIFA World Cup
Of the three countries with the highest proportion of fans, Brazil and Argentina have considerable football heritage, whilst South Africa were World Cup hosts relatively recently. At the other end of the scale, of the 36 countries on our TGI Global Quick View survey, we find the USA, where just 10% follow the World Cup.
Despite the tournament being played largely in the US, this has not translated into high engagement for the competition.
Although World Cup fans are particularly likely to be male…
% of each gender who follow the World Cup
Globally, two-thirds of World Cup fans are male – the same as at the time of the previous World Cup. But this global trend hides big differences at the local level…
…in some markets a higher proportion of women follow the World Cup than men globally
% women in each country who are World Cup fans
In markets that show highest interest in the World Cup overall – Brazil, Argentina and South Africa – a greater proportion of women follow the competition than the global average for men (31%).
However, in other markets female interest is well below the global average, including the huge markets of China and host country USA.
World Cup fans are particularly likely to have high income…
% in socio-economic level (SEL) 1 (top 10% of consumers)
World Cup fans are three-quarters more likely to be in the top 10% of connected adults by socio-economic level, making them particularly valuable to marketers.
…but this is driven by a handful of highly populated markets
% World Cup fans in each country who are in SEL group 1 (top 10%)
Some of the most populated markets – including India, Indonesia and Philippines – are particularly likely to have World Cup fans in the top SEL (top 10% of consumers socio-economically).
Unlike in Europe and South America, football in these markets has not been widely popular historically, but has gained popularity among the more educated and wealthy consumers. The high value of fans in these fast-developing markets makes them an especially key target for brands – both during and after the tournament.
Tech, finance and motoring are top topics to grab the attention of World Cup fans
% interested in topic
Certain topics are of particular interest to World Cup fans globally compared to other connected adults – including technology, finance and motoring.
By appealing specifically to these topics, marketers can build a stronger platform for campaigns.
World Cup fans are more likely to make big purchases…
% who plan to spend money on this in next 12 months
We’ve already seen World Cup fans tend towards the highest socio-economic level. This is reflected in their increased likelihood to be planning to spend on a range of expensive products, services and experiences.
…but even two markets in the same region can have hugely different spending plans
% World Cup fans planning to spend on holiday abroad in next 12 months
Holidaying abroad is something World Cup fans are particularly keen to spend on, but this can vary sharply between markets.
Even two markets in the same region can show extreme differences, highlighting the need for marketers to tailor campaigns carefully at the local level.
For example, 15% of World Cup fans in Japan plan to spend on a holiday abroad, but in Singapore it is two-thirds and in Taiwan it is three-quarters.
Discover more!
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Find out more about World Cup fans – or any consumer target – through the breadth and depth of our TGI consumer data.