With more than half a year to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, Yiwu, Zhejiang—known as the “world’s supermarket”—has already entered the World Cup economic fast track. Merchants are busy preparing for the global event.

“Sports events, especially large-scale international ones, mean opportunities with almost no risk for us,” said one trader.

Argentina’s sky blue, Canada’s maple red, and Brazil’s forest green have been turned into flags, fan apparel, scarves, and trophies. Walking through Yiwu International Trade City’s sports goods section, the World Cup atmosphere is increasingly vibrant.

Although the World Cup is still nine months away, Yiwu’s sports goods exports have already “kicked off.” Lin Daolai, a sports wristband seller, is busy sending sample photos to clients. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, he received an order for one million official wristbands, which significantly expanded his business circle. Now, he has already secured several orders for the 2026 World Cup.

Recently, Lin has also been developing new World Cup-themed products to offer more options for clients.

Another sports goods manufacturer, Shang Yabing, is rushing to produce samples of cheering towels customized for the upcoming World Cup. “This order includes nearly one million towels,” he told reporters. “If cooperation is confirmed, our factory will dedicate the next four months entirely to producing these cheering products.”

For many Yiwu sports goods merchants, aligning with major event cycles is a key business strategy. Product diversification is another secret to their success. In one shop, sports goods are creatively combined with different materials to expand their range of applications.

Yiwu International Trade City merchant Yang Hang said, “Whenever the World Cup approaches, our orders increase by about 50% compared with normal times. Our early products were mainly basic sports goods like balls, but now we also develop themed products for major foreign holidays such as Halloween and Christmas.”

Not only merchants but also logistics companies in Yiwu Port are seeing growth. Logistics manager Zeng Xibao said his company’s shipment volume of sports goods has increased significantly this year, and preparations are underway for next year’s World Cup orders.

Zhejiang Yiwu Logistics Company Manager Zeng Xibao: “From late September until now, we’ve been continuously shipping sports goods—mainly footballs and national flags. Orders for single categories of sports goods have risen by over 30%. For global events, logistics preparations usually start more than six months in advance. Next year, our warehouse capacity will need to increase by at least 50%.”

CCTV correspondent Le Rongrong reported: “The event-driven economy is like a match that ignites Yiwu’s sports goods industry chain. With flexible supply chains and diversified layouts, Yiwu merchants are seizing the opportunity.”

Latest data shows that in the first three quarters of this year, Yiwu’s exports of sports goods reached RMB 8.955 billion, up 20.5% year-on-year. Despite global economic fluctuations, Yiwu’s sports goods exports continue to grow, demonstrating remarkable resilience.

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