TGM Global World Cup Survey 2022

Interest in football is global:
There are billions of football lovers around the globe. Football is played, followed and discussed in almost every corner of planet earth. In all countries surveyed, 72% of people say they are interested in football, with the highest percentage of football fans occurring in APAC (48%) and MENA (46%).

Football is primarily about watching and supporting.
Most sports fans worldwide limit themselves to watching football on TV (72%) and following it on the Internet (52%). Playing football and attending live matches is the case only for 20% globally. The regions that play football most are Latin America (28%) and MENA (27%).

Football fans' age:
72% globally say they are interested in watching football. However, interest in football is related to age, with the majority of the fanbase being between 25 and 44 years old. The younger demographic is generally less interested in football. Only in Europe and Northern America, we observed a similar level of interest as in older age groups.

Football is not only a male game.
58% of women in the survey declared a general interest in football, with 1 out of 4 saying they are very interested in the game. The group of engaged female audiences (claiming a high level of interest) is the largest in Nigeria (46%), UAE (44%), Saudi Arabia (44%), and Brazil (41%).

FIFA World Cup 2022™ is getting a vast amount of attention.
Our survey revealed that 67% of sports fans were interested in this year's tournament, with 39% declaring they were very interested. The highest levels of interest in the games were found in Africa (51%), Latin America (50%) and the Middle East (49%).

Not only the final match.
Among those who will watch the World Cup, 91% will watch more than one game during the event, with 51% declaring they will follow the tournament closely, watching every game possible. As a significant part of the competing national teams comes from Europe, fans there will focus their attention on the games of their country' teams (26%).

How will the world watch Qatar's 2022 FIFA World Cup?
The vast majority (83%) interested in the World Cup tournament will watch the games on TV in all countries surveyed. However, the ascent of streaming platforms during this year's World Cup in Qatar is apparent. 42% globally intend to watch World Cup games using online streaming, with 44% of younger audiences declaring so. Notably, viewers over 44 prefer to watch the games rather than via TV. The willingness to use online streaming platforms is the lowest in Europe. With access to broadcast on public TV, only 26% of sports fans will use streaming as a considered platform of choice to access FIFA World Cup 2022™ tournament's content.

Supporting national team.
The World Cup is also a playground for national optimism. Supporting the country's national team, against all odds and international rank data, is the case for fans from the countries surveyed participating in the tournament (see the map below).

Which team is predicted to win the World Cup?
Everyone is making predictions about who will come out on top in the battle for the jewel of FIFA's crown. The usual suspects will undoubtedly be to the fore, but there is always room for a bolt from the blue. By the results of the survey, globally, the favourite team to win the World Cup 2022 is Brazil (18% of votes), with Argentina coming 2nd (10%). However, the likes are also for France, Germany, and Spain - which are understandably considered perennial challengers.

Football is about teams and teamwork, but every team consists of individual talents. A World Cup is a showcase for the best footballers on the planet. Qatar 2022 promises to provide us with a mix of potential final appearances for a group of multiple iconic stars combined with the emergence of an exciting new generation of talents.

Results of the voting:
- Cristiano Ronaldo 1st
- Lionel Messi 2nd
- Erling Haaland 3rd
- Kylian Mbappe 4th
- Robert Lewandowski 5th

In any tournament, sponsors are critical. They support programs financially, which in turn helps promote the brand. The FIFA World Cup is one of the most influential international marketing platforms. All top brands like Adidas, Coca-Cola, Hyundai, Wanda Group, and Qatar Airways have become part of FIFA Official Partners.

We also asked survey participants which brands they think will gain more awareness and association with the competition, and a majority of the participant went for Adidas. Other brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, Qatar Airways, Visa, Pepsi, FIFA, Puma, Emirates and Heineken were also voted.