Visa, the Official Payment Technology Partner of FIFA, today shared its final scorecard on commerce conducted at official FIFA venues during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ (Qatar 2022™) from November 20 to December 18. Visa spend data at FIFA venues found that by value, fans spent 39% more at Qatar 2022™ than they did at the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ and 300% more than at the 2014 FIFA World Cup™[1].
Fans also embraced paying with a ‘tap’ at FIFA venues, where over 5,300 payment terminals were deployed. Eighty-nine percent of all Visa transactions at the venues were done using contactless, showcasing fans’ strong preference for tap to pay.
Visa Spending Insights: How the Fans Scored
- The biggest international spenders during the tournament were Visa cardholders from KSA, USA, UAE, Mexico and the United Kingdom, followed by Kuwait, Argentina, France, India, and Brazil.
- Spend by fans from the latter five countries combined (Kuwait, Argentina, France, India, Brazil) equaled the spend from Saudi Arabian fans.
- Visa cardholders from the US spent twice as much as Visa cardholders from the UAE.
- The final match between Argentina and France had the highest payment volume of all the matches and the highest average transaction value.
Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager, Gulf Cooperation Council – Visa said, “We met a strong consumer demand for digital payment options and are delighted to have readied a payments network that could meet these needs and enable fans to get back to the action quickly throughout the duration of this exciting, action-packed tournament.”
A first-of-its-kind art and technology experience, Visa Masters of Movement attracted more than 120,000 fans over the course of the FIFA Fan Festival™. Visiting fans had the opportunity to create a unique piece of digital artwork, inspired by their own signature movements on a digital LED pitch, with eligible fans able to receive their artwork as a minted NFT. In creating the artwork, fans had the option to choose the color schemes based on country; Argentina was the top chosen nation, followed by Brazil, Morocco, Portugal, and Saudi Arabia.
With FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ fast on the horizon in July-August 2023, Visa looks forward to collaborating with its network of partners once again to offer football fans unique experiences that leave lasting impact on the host nations and the global football community. As digital commerce continues to grow, Visa is inspired by the next opportunity to spotlight emerging technologies on football’s greatest stage.
