World Cup orders surge in China's Yiwu as 2026 tournament approaches

(ECNS) -- As the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaches, orders for tournament-related products are surging in Yiwu, a major global hub for small commodities in east China's Zhejiang Province.

Chen Jian, a merchant at Yiwu International Trade City, estimates that order volumes could increase by 50% compared with previous levels partly driven by the tournament being hosted across three countries.

Factories producing tournament-related products are also running at full throttle. At one football factory in Yiwu, machines hum non-stop as workers glue and stitch, churning out 4,000 new balls per day. The factory said it has virtually no inventory backlog, driven by the upcoming World Cup.

Customs data showed that Yiwu's exports of sports goods and equipment reached 2.34 billion yuan (about $343 million) in the first two months of 2026, a year-on-year surge of 38.5%.

With experience supplying past global sporting events, Yiwu merchants have begun planning well in advance. Some have even secured official licenses to produce World Cup-related merchandise.

Luo Tianle, who runs a sports merchandise store in Yiwu, said aid he began preparing for the 2026 tournament several years ago after strong sales during the previous World Cup. As a result, His company has since expanded product development and pursued licensing agreements overseas.

"We now have full-category licenses for eight top national teams and eight elite club giants," Luo said. "We are developing products such as fridge magnets, badges, cufflinks, pins, souvenirs and plush toys."

Established supply chains, rapid production capabilities and increasing focus on product innovation in Yiwu contributed to his success, said Luo, adding that his shop now launches 20 to 30 new products each week.

Shop owner Wen Congjian who specialises in fan jerseys, now holds 39 patents and 32 trademarks. He said that he secured an order of more than 10,000 pieces from a client after showing products from the previous World Cup in Qatar. The order comprises official fan jerseys for teams including Brazil, Argentina and Portugal.

(By Zhang Dongfang)