Can the World Cup Help the U.S. Beer Industry Kick Its Slump?

Butch McGuire’s, a pub in downtown Chicago, is planning on holding watch parties for some World Cup soccer games. But the family-owned business isn’t ordering more beer.

“Soccer is growing here in the United States, and there will be games that draw a big crowd,” said Bobby McGuire, who took over the business from his father 20 years ago. “But it’s still not likely to be as big as a basketball playoff or football playoff for us.”

Beer companies are placing huge bets on the World Cup, spending tens of millions of dollars on sponsorships and advertising deals to promote their brands during the 104 matches that will be played in the United States, Canada and Mexico in June and July. And they’re counting on bar owners like Mr. McGuire.

“We want to make a huge push on bars, because the bars will be the places where people will get together to watch the games,” Michel Doukeris, the chief executive of Anheuser-Busch InBev, told investors and Wall Street analysts on an earnings call in early May. “And there is nothing like watching your team around friends and family on a nice bar over a cold one.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/31/business/world-cup-beer.html