Four out of nine consumers are interested in the FIFA World Cup. How does that compare to the Summer Olympics and who are the fans? YouGov Global Fan Profiles have now revealed that 45 percent of consumers in 50 markets either have “some interest” in the FIFA World Cup or say it is “one of their main interests.” No other sporting event generates more interest than the Summer Olympics (50%), which is outranked by all sporting events.
FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games – a deep insight
The fan base for the World Cup varies widely across markets. Compared to the Summer Olympics, the event is significantly more popular with consumers in the MENA region (61% vs. 40%), South America (67% vs. 45%) and South Africa (71% vs. 57%). The Olympics are well ahead in North America (41% vs. 27%) and are just ahead in APAC (53% vs. 44%) and Europe (48% vs. 45%).
But even within these larger regions, there are big differences. For example, nearly seven in ten Indonesians (70%) are interested in the FIFA World Cup, but only 37 percent are interested in the Summer Olympics, a marked departure from the overall trend in APAC. In China, the pattern is reversed and the Summer Olympics enjoy a significant advantage (60% vs. 35% for the FIFA World Cup).
In North America, the Summer Olympics enjoy above-average popularity in Canada (49% for the Summer Olympics versus 29% for the World Cup) and the U.S. (36% vs. 18%), while the ratio evens out in Mexico (57% vs. 55%). These three countries will jointly host the 2026 World Cup.
Younger audience prefers FIFA World Cup around the world
Consumers aged 18-24 are five percentage points more likely to be interested in the FIFA World Cup (45%) than the Summer Olympics (40%). The same is true for 25- to 34-year-olds. Among 35- to 44-year-olds, the differences even out (45% World Cup, 44% Summer Olympics).
Among 45- to 54-year-olds, the share of those interested in the Olympics rises further to 48 percent, while the World Cup still attracts the interest of just over two-fifths (43%). But only a third of those over 55 say they are interested in the World Cup (34%), while half of them say they are interested in the Summer Olympics (51%).
There are also differences in terms of gender. The World Cup is the most popular event for men worldwide (55%), while the Summer Olympics are close behind (52%). While women are less likely than men to express interest in either event, they show a notable preference for the Summer Olympics (47%) than for the World Cup (35%).
To get a sense of why the World Cup is so popular, it is worth looking at the huge popularity of the game itself: South Africa (online sample), which hosted the 2010 FIFA Men’s World Cup and has a vibrant sports culture, tops the list. Four out of nine consumers in the country say they actively follow the sport (44%). Portugal is second, with two in five consumers saying they follow the game (38%). The figures are also very high in Poland (36%), Indonesia (online sample, 36%), Greece (35%), Switzerland (34%), Belgium (34%), Colombia (32%), Ireland (32%), Egypt (online sample, 32%) and Spain (32%), where at least a third of consumers in each case say they either actively read about the sport or follow it on TV or online. This group of obviously soccer-mad markets – which are very diverse both geographically and culturally – is evidence of the overarching appeal of the “beautiful game.”
Gamers are significantly more attracted to the World Cup than the population as a whole
Looking at selected markets, it appears that gamers are more likely to be interested in the World Cup than any other consumer. A quarter of U.S. gamers (25%) say they are interested in the World Cup, compared to 18 percent of the general population.
In the U.K., gamers are nine percentage points more likely to be interested in the World Cup than the general population (49% vs. 41%).
In Germany, the World Cup is also more popular with gamers. About half of gamers in Germany say they are interested in the World Cup (51%), compared to 45% of the overall population.
A separate survey regarding the controversial World Cup in Qatar was unfortunately not included in the study.
