Would you clear your calendar for soccer? Rearrange dinner plans around kick-off? Stay up late for one more match? Or would you happily catch the highlights the next morning or skip the tournament altogether? Everyone has their own game plan.
As excitement built for the summer's biggest soccer tournament, we invited Ipsos iSay members across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain to take part in a survey exploring how they planned to experience the competition. From viewing habits to match-day traditions, their responses paint a fascinating picture of soccer fans with very different plans for the weeks ahead.
Who's Watching Every Match?
For almost one in four Ipsos iSay members (24%), this tournament is an all-or-nothing event. They're planning to watch as many matches as possible, no matter who's playing. Every fixture is another chance to witness a surprise result, a spectacular goal or a moment people will be talking about for years.
If soccer is on, they're watching. That enthusiasm wasn't spread evenly across the countries we surveyed. Ipsos iSay members in Italy (29%), France (28%) and the United Kingdom (28%) were the most likely to say they'd watch as many matches as possible. They were closely followed by members in the United States (27%) and Spain (25%), while Germany (21%) and Canada (15%) were less likely to plan an all-in soccer schedule.
Following Every Match... or Just Your National Team?
Not everyone needs to watch every match to enjoy the tournament. Twenty-one percent of members told us they'll mainly tune in when their national team is playing. For them, the biggest moments aren't necessarily the final or the knockout rounds; they're the matches that bring a nation together.
Then there's another group taking a more flexible approach. One in five members (20%) said they'll mostly follow the tournament through highlights and recaps, catching the best moments whenever it suits them.
And perhaps the biggest surprise of all? More than a quarter of Ipsos iSay members (28%) weren't planning to follow the tournament at all.
Here again, the picture varied from country to country. Members in the United States (42%) and Canada (39%) were the most likely to say they wouldn't follow the tournament, while members in France (19%) and the United Kingdom (21%) were the least likely to sit it out. Italy (29%), Spain (27%) and Germany (23%) landed somewhere in between.
When It's Time to Watch, One Screen Still Wins
Streaming may have changed the way we watch films and TV shows, giving viewers greater control over when, where and how they watch. Ipsos research highlights that content choices are increasingly driven by context, including access, audience, and daily routines, rather than traditional linear viewing habits. But soccer seems to be different: Among members planning to tune in, 68% said broadcast television would still be their first choice. Streaming services came next at 17%, while 9% expected to rely mainly on social media highlights.
Looking across countries, traditional television was especially popular among Ipsos iSay members in the United Kingdom (75%), France (71%), Italy (71%) and Spain (70%). Canadian members showed the strongest preference for streaming services (28%), while respondents in the United States were the most likely to rely on social media highlights (40%) instead of more traditional viewing options.
When every second counts, many Ipsos iSay members still prefer watching the action unfold live.
Soccer Extends Beyond the Match
Soccer doesn't always stop when the referee blows the final whistle. Nearly one-third of members (32%) planned to host or attend a viewing party, turning matches into a reason to get together with family and friends. That social spirit was particularly strong in France, where 60% of members planned to host or attend a viewing party, followed by Spain (49%) and Italy (41%). Meanwhile, members in Germany and Canada were more likely to keep things low-key.
Others planned to make things a little more competitive by joining prediction challenges (16%), while 13% expected to buy merchandise, place bets or join conversations on social media. Prediction games proved especially popular in Spain (31%) and Germany (28%), while members in Spain (22%) were also the most likely to buy official merchandise.
But one result stood out. Almost half of Ipsos iSay members (45%) selected "None of the above." No prediction games. No merchandise. No online debates. Sometimes, simply watching soccer is enough.
Four Years Later, Has Anything Changed?
For many members, their excitement hasn't. Half of those we surveyed (50%) said they were just as interested in this tournament as they were four years ago as they were in Qatar 2022. Meanwhile, 30% were even more excited, while 20% said their interest had decreased.
The level of excitement varied across countries. Members in Canada (45%) and the United States (47%) were the most likely to say they were more interested than they were four years ago, while members in France (57%) and the United Kingdom (56%) were most likely to say their excitement had stayed about the same. Italy stood out as the country with the highest proportion of members saying they were less interested than in the previous global soccer tournament (28%).
It suggests that while the way members choose to experience soccer may differ, the tournament itself continues to hold a special place in many people's calendars.
One Soccer Tournament. Many Ways to Experience It.
One of our favorite things about Ipsos iSay is discovering just how differently our members see the same event. This survey was a great reminder of that, and it even gave us the opportunity to reconnect with members we hadn't heard from in a while. It seems soccer has a way of bringing people back together, whether it's around the television, at a viewing party or even through a survey.
Whether you're watching every match, cheering on your national team, catching the highlights or sitting this tournament out, every perspective adds something to the conversation.
Join the Conversation with Ipsos iSay
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Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Ipsos iSay Members Planned to Watch Every Match of the 2026 Global Soccer Tournament?
According to the Ipsos iSay survey, 24% of members planned to watch as many matches as possible, making them the most dedicated viewers in our community.
How did most Ipsos iSay members plan to watch the 2026 Global Soccer Tournament?
Broadcast television remained the most popular viewing option, with 68% of members planning to watch matches on TV, followed by streaming services (17%) and social media highlights (9%).
Which countries were most likely to watch every match of the 2026 Global Soccer Tournament?
Ipsos iSay members in Italy (29%), France (28%) and the United Kingdom (28%) were the most likely to plan to watch as many matches as possible.
Which countries were least likely to follow the 2026 Global Soccer Tournament?
Members in the United States (42%) and Canada (39%) were the most likely to say they didn't plan to follow the tournament, while France (19%) and the United Kingdom (21%) had the lowest proportions of non-viewers.
Source: Ipsos iSay international soccer tournament survey. Base: 1,630 online adults aged 18–75+ across US, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain interviewed 19 May – 10 June 2026.
