How The 2026 World Cup Is Boosting Malaysia’s Economy
The 2026 World Cup is quietly injecting up to billions into Malaysia’s F&B sector, stress-testing our digital banks, and giving local businesses a massive shot in the arm.
- The 2026 World Cup could inject up to RM2.1 billion into Malaysia's food and beverage sector, driven by late-night dining.
- Digital commerce surged during the tournament, with spikes in cross-border payments, e-wallet usage, and online shopping activity.
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When one thinks of the World Cup, one thinks of balls. Perhaps the Fevernova (our personal favorite), the Jabulani, the TRIONDA, which is currently being used in the tournament, or even the globe on the iconic trophy.
What we probably don’t think about and don’t talk about enough, is that the World Cup actually gives our economy a boost whenever it comes round every four years, even though it never happens on our soil.
Here’s how this year’s World Cup gave local businesses a massive shot in the arm.
1. The Late Night Mamak & F&B Industry
According to Professor Emeritus Dr. Barjoyai Bardai of the Malaysia University of Science and Technology, the 2026 World Cup could inject anywhere from RM1.2 billion to RM2.1 billion straight into Malaysia’s food and beverage sector.
Interestingly, the biggest catalyst isn’t the standard lunch or dinner rush – it’s the early morning hours, since the games happen so late in our timezone.
According to the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma), many operators who normally shut their doors at midnight are extending their hours until dawn to accommodate the timezone difference.
Dr. Barjoyai notes that roughly 40% of this economic bump stems purely from late-night dining, while group watch parties account for 30%.
Another 20% comes from a surge in food deliveries from companies like GrabFood and Foodpanda, powered by lazy fans glued to their couches (ergo, many of us at The Rakyat Post).
2. Digital Commerce, Payments & Tech Behind the Screens
Somewhat related to the point of ordering food through our smartphones, our digital pipelines also see an uptick during World Cup periods.
Gautam Puntambekar, Bank of America’s Country Executive for Malaysia, points out that while no Southeast Asian nation made it onto the pitch this year, the digital economic spillover is massive.
We’re talking about massive spikes in cross-border digital payments, foreign exchange fluctuations, and extra load on local e-wallets – food aside, you probably bought a national team jersey (or three) this year from various shopping platforms.
And all this extra traffic also kinda serves as a testament of our cybersecurity and real-time transaction tracking.
3. Media Rights, Streaming & Telecoms
For years (decades, really), Astro held a near-unbreakable monopoly on broadcast rights for the tournament, but that changed when the Fire Nation attacked when the rights migrated over to RTM via RTM Klik and Unifi TV.
This shakeup triggered a free-for-all among telecom players trying to get your attention (and secure your monthly subscription).
CelcomDigi, for example, rolled out an “Unlimited Internet Pass” for RM10, specifically giving users 24-hour unlimited internet to stream matches on the RTMKlik app.
U Mobile pulak launched the “ULTRA Football Pass,” giving all mobile and broadband prepaid/postpaid subscribers free, unlimited high-speed data specifically to stream all 104 matches.
It’s a smart play, and probably a long-term one, to acquire subscribers. And we the consumers do benefit from this.
4. Experiental Marketing
You’ve probably been to a shopping mall in the past few months, and seen something like a mini penalty shootout area that’s set up for visitors to check out.
That’s a form of experiental marketing. It’s when consumers can interact with a brand, rather than just seeing it passively.
Take what Pavilion Bukit Jalil did, for instance – they had a “Mega Kickoff” campaign where they hosted live viewings, interactive penalty shootouts, and merchandise pop-ups to take advantage of the event.
And companies do it because it works.
Data shows that roughly 68% of Malaysian consumers are actively more likely to buy from brands that tie promotions to major sporting events.
Even if you don’t buy anything during your visit, you walked away having had fun. The next time you need sports gear, your brain is going to link that specific mall or brand to the dopamine rush of scoring that mini penalty goal.
So, yes. When the dust settles and the trophy is lifted, the host cities in North America will have gotten the biggest slice of the pie because:
- The World Cup happened there; and
- The US is the biggest consumer country in the world
But back home in Malaysia, our economy wins too.
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