As the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup matches kick off amid geopolitical tensions and economic unrest, there’s yet another issue that’s come to light.
Alcohol being served at sporting events has been the norm for more than 100 years in the U.S., according to a Utah-based news outlet, Deseret News. A global sporting event being held across three countries between a total of 48 nations should be a cause for celebration, and bring with it a rise in alcohol consumption.
Alcohol brands are spending a significant amount on sponsorship and advertising during the World Cup’s 104 matches, despite a record-low number of Americans drinking. Most of the matches will be in the U.S.
However, what does that mean for the alcohol industry when sales have been dwindling in Canada?
According to Statistics Canada, alcohol sales were down by 1.6 per cent in the 2024-25 fiscal year ending in March compared to 2023-24.
This was the fourth consecutive year that saw a decline in sales.
The national agency also noted that the reduction in alcohol earnings was the largest annual decrease since it started tracking sales in the 2004-05 fiscal year.
Rod Phillips, a professor of history at Carleton University in Ottawa and an expert in the history of alcohol, told CTVNews.ca on Monday that the upcoming sporting events could lead to a short spike in sales, but wouldn’t last long after.
“They’ll be drinking, of course, in the stadium, but then outside the stadium, a lot of bars are going to be very crowded for while people go to watch the matches, and they’re going to be drinking,” Phillips said.
“Will they drink a lot?”
The alcohol industry will “make money” in the short term, Phillips explained, but that alone will not be enough to balance out the kind of downturn that has been trending in sales.
“I suspect that what FIFA is going to do is give a short-term bump to sales, and then the sales will then just fall back to where they were before FIFA,” he added. “Whether that’s going to carry over and lead to a general prolonged increase in alcohol consumption … I don’t know, but I don’t see why it would.”
‘General decline in alcohol consumption’
In total, around $25.8 billion worth of alcohol and alcoholic beverages were sold in Canada in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
“On average, Canadians of legal drinking age purchased the equivalent of 8.0 standard alcoholic beverages per week in 2024/2025, down from 8.7 the previous fiscal year and 9.7 a decade ago,” StatCan said.
Phillips said he believes there will be a “permanent trend” of Canadians drinking less.
“They’re certainly spending less,” he added.
According to the alcohol historian, there are multiple reasons for this trend.
First, there is discussion around the health effects of alcohol, and the younger demographic has taken the warnings seriously, he said.
“This feeling that alcohol is not good for your health has been accepted by younger people much, much more readily,” Phillips said.
Second, he noted, was the question of affordability.
“Unemployment among younger people is higher than among older people. Younger people are more concerned about their careers,” he said.
Phillips pointed out that younger people are much more “prepared” to socialize without alcohol than their earlier generations and have taken an interest in cannabis products instead.
According to a 2024 survey by StatCan, 17 per cent of Canadians aged 16 years and older reported consuming cannabis for non-medical purposes in a month, up from 15 per cent in 2018.
Phillips said this is due to a “general shift” away from socializing in a way that involves alcohol, leading to a drop in foot traffic at late-night venues, bars, clubs and restaurants.
According to an opinion piece published in the Michigan Journal of Economics, younger Americans are losing interest in drinking and staying out late, leading to a decline in alcohol sales for venues.
“All these things combine to lead to a general decline in alcohol consumption, not just in Canada, but in the United States, in Europe, and elsewhere,” Phillips said.
However, due to the connection between alcohol and sporting events, Phillips suspects that people who wouldn’t consume as much alcohol in their normal lives will also be partaking in the drinking culture during the course of the World Cup.
“My general sense is that alcohol consumption will go up, and then it’ll drop again, and if the alcohol industry hopes this is going to sort of kick consumption up to another level after the after the Cup is over, then I think they’re wrong,” he added.
“But I don’t blame them for being optimistic.”
With files from CTV News’ Tyler Barrow and CNN
