Several venues have even bought or rented extra-large TV sets last minute for what their executives described as the ‘biggest sporting night’ in the country.
Also Read: Messi vs Yamal – Veteran genius vs teenage prodigy
“This FIFA World Cup has turned out to be much more popular than I expected .. Despite the late hours, people are still watching in large numbers. I expect the bars showing the final to be jam-packed,” said AD Singh, managing director of Olive Group of Restaurants, which runs Olive Bar & Kitchen and SodaBottleOpenerWala.
Delhi has allowed bars and restaurants to operate until 4 am Monday. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana, too, extended operating hours.
Late-night Policy
“A legend. A teenage prodigy. One trophy. One night that generations will remember. Delhi is ready for that night,” Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta posted on Saturday, referencing the summit clash headlined by Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.
In a post on X on Sunday, Kerala chief minister VD Satheesan declared Monday a holiday for all educational institutions.
Also Read: Manipur shuts schools for FIFA World Cup final
Zorawar Kalra, managing director of Massive Restaurants, which operates Farzi Cafe and Masala Library, welcomed the Delhi government’s move. “This is a proactive business move and in the direction of the 24/7 nightlife we are trying to seek. On deliveries, usually 11 pm – 4 am is the last slot and accounts for 18-19% of our sales; we expect that to increase by about 25%,” he said.
“I hope this is just the beginning and we will see such permissions and probably a late-night policy soon. All bars are packed,” said Priyank Sukhija, chief executive of First Fiddle Restaurants that operates Thanks & Beyond and Lord of the Drinks.
Merch & Gossip
Sportswear firm Adidas, which sponsors both finalists Argentina and Spain, has seen an “unprecedented” surge in soccer-related gear such as Messi tee-shirts at ₹6,399-7,999, said two executives directly managing the retail outlets.
Many of the local stores of the German athletic-wear brand are locally operated by the CK Jaipuria Family Office.
Executives at Coca-Cola and McDonald’s – both global sponsors of FIFA – said interest in football in India this time has beaten their expectations.
“We’ve seen a sharp uptick in demand for limited-edition, country-themed Coca-Cola cans in markets in Delhi-NCR and the North East, where football is a religion in many ways,” said Sanjeev Agarwal, group chairman of MM Agarwal Group, which owns Moon Beverages and holds franchise rights for Coca-Cola across north and east India.
Interest and awareness about players and their personal lives has also surged among fans in the country. Cristiano Ronaldo had confirmed this would be his final international tournament and a lot of fans followed the emotional exit of the magical CR7.
Lionel Messi’s GOAT tour across India in 2025 generated a lot of excitement. Messi’s photoshoot with teen star Lamine Yamal for a charity calendar when the latter was a baby has been a popular topic of discussion on social media groups.
Interest in WAGs (the acronym for wives and girlfriends) of top soccer stars is also helping spread the fan base.
“Demand for FIFA World Cup meals that come with branded footballs has exceeded our expectations at many of our stores,” said Rajeev Ranjan, managing director, McDonald’s North & East, referencing the QSR chain’s special-edition football collectibles offer with some meals.
On extended night operations, he said, “We are ensuring select stores are open for dine-ins or for servicing delivery orders through the final match’s duration.”
Big Business
Ticket prices for live screenings shot up to anywhere between ₹1,500 and ₹10,000, depending on the location and city.
Executives said consumption soared since the knockout stage.
“We expect the final to drive a 2x revenue over a regular Sunday evening as the match is in the wee hours when we are closed. Compared with the last FIFA World Cup, live sports viewing has become far more mainstream in India and attracts an extremely passionate fan base that spends more time at the venue, translating into higher food and beverage consumption,” said Rahul Singh, founder of The Beer Cafe.
The surge is across cities and irrespective of the scale of the chains.
Anirudh Kheny, owner of bar Heyou in Bengaluru, said, “We have television screens but people want a bigger and better experience; so, we had to source LED screens and projectors on rent at the last minute. We are going to be sold out. The government’s move of allowing us to operate until 3 am for the final, semifinal and the third place matches has been a big demand driver.”
Delivery kitchens, too, reported a surge in sales.
Tanveer Kwatra, cofounder of Shoyu, said, “We expect 30-40% more orders compared with other weekends, and an increase in revenues for high value products. Major late night sporting events like these are strong demand drivers for delivery kitchens, especially during late-night hours as people choose to watch matches at home with friends and family.”