England's World Cup semi-final with Argentina set to drive 10 million extra pints sold

England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday is projected to generate a record surge in pub trade, with forecasters estimating fans will drink 9.7 million extra pints and hospitality venues will take in £60.5 million from drinks alone.

Discount platform VoucherCodes predicts as many as 26.2 million people will watch the 8pm kick-off, with seven million of them — a tournament record — choosing to watch in pubs, bars and fan zones. A further 19.2 million are expected to watch at home or with friends, contributing to an estimated £357 million retail spending spree on food, drink, sportswear and electrical goods.

Trade body the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has produced its own, more conservative estimate, projecting pubs alone could serve six million extra pints. For context, the average Wednesday in July sees pubs sell around eight million pints, meaning the BBPA’s figure would represent a 75% surge in sales — larger than the typical uplift seen on a Bank Holiday or New Year’s Eve.

“Thanks to the World Cup, we’ve seen millions of extra pints sold off the back of home nations matches,” said BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin. “Given the nail-biting stakes, we expect Wednesday to be the most successful night of the tournament, with more than six million extra pints potentially sold.”

The appetite for the semi-final follows a string of high-pressure knockout wins for Thomas Tuchel’s side. England’s 2-1 victory over Norway — driven by a standout Jude Bellingham performance — produced a 23% increase in pub and bar spending, according to payment provider Dojo, which also recorded a 152% spike in transactions during extra time.

Beyond the pub trade, VoucherCodes estimates the bulk of the £357 million retail windfall will come from food and drink (£238 million), sportswear (£44 million) and electrical items (£25 million), as the nation prepares for what would be England’s biggest game of the tournament.