On Saturday, England face Norway in a World Cup quarter-final played in sweltering 40C heat in Miami – a climate that could test both teams, but especially Norway's footballers, who have not had the chance to test their nation's famed ability to stay elite in hot conditions. Back home, the match is expected to generate a near half-billion pound sales increase for the UK economy, as fans drink 9.3m pints, order takeaways and buy new TVs, according to one estimate. The British Beer & Pubs Association said the sector would make £27.5m from pouring an extra 5.5m pints on Saturday alone.
The tournament has already provided a significant uplift for hospitality. Trade body UKHospitality said pub sales were up 77% on matchdays compared with a typical Tuesday. At Boxpark, the street food and entertainment pop-up company, chief executive Matt Snell said each match could be worth £500,000 in sales of tickets, drinks and food. “If we reach the final, it’ll be as big as Christmas and the whole month of December for us,” he added.
“England v Norway quarter-final expected to generate £500m for UK economy amid 40C Miami heat.”
While outdoor fan zones will be packed with English supporters, one London pub is expecting a distinctly Scandinavian atmosphere. The Kenton Arms, run by Egil Johansen for 17 years, has become a social hub for the city’s Norwegian diaspora. “I think it’ll be a majority of Norwegians, maybe 70:30 or 80:20,” said Johansen. “On Sunday against Brazil we reached our capacity of 200 about one hour before kick-off and had to stop entry. It’s 100% an extra boost for us this year.”