From June 11 to July 19, 2026, 48 countries will compete for the world title in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For delivery restaurants, this means one thing: nearly six weeks of predictable peak ordering times, almost every evening. However, this World Cup is different from previous editions — due to the time difference, many matches will start late for the Dutch viewer. For example, the first Netherlands match against Japan starts at 10:00 PM, and the match against Tunisia even starts at 1:00 AM.
This completely changes how you should organize your kitchen, delivery drivers, and website. In this blog, we show you how to maximize your profit from the 2026 World Cup — without your kitchen stalling or customers waiting an hour for their food.
Why the 2026 World Cup is a Unique Opportunity
Take-Away traditionally calls January 1 their busiest day of the year. During a World Cup, you can easily add seven or eight evenings that approach that level — especially when the Netherlands plays or during top fixtures such as a semi-final or the final on July 19.
The Netherlands’ matches in the group stage fall on:
- Sunday, June 14, 10:00 PM – Netherlands – Japan
- Saturday, June 20, 7:00 PM – Netherlands – Sweden
- Friday, June 26, 1:00 AM – Tunisia – Netherlands
In addition, there are knockout matches starting June 28 and the final on Sunday, July 19 at 9:00 PM. Add to that the matches of Belgium, Germany, England, and other popular countries, and you need a playbook.
1. Adapt Your Menu to World Cup Ordering Behavior
During a match, no one orders a three-course meal. People want shareable, fast, and convenient. Consider:
- Sharing platters (mixed grills, nachos, appetizer platters, mixed sushi boxes)
- Family deals with a fixed price and fixed composition — faster to prepare, higher margin
- World Cup specials with country themes (Japanese box for June 14, Swedish meatballs for June 20)
- Limited delivery-only menu during peak hours: fewer choices = faster kitchen
Tip: place your ‘World Cup menu’ separately on your own website. This gives you content to post on social media and improves your SEO for keywords like ‘order food World Cup’ in your city.
2. Plan Your Kitchen and Delivery Drivers per Match Day
Orders during the World Cup follow a predictable pattern:
- 2 to 1 hour before kickoff: peak in orders. People want food on the table before the match starts.
- During the match: silence. No one orders during an exciting phase.
- Immediately after halftime or after the match: short second peak (snacks, desserts, drinks).
This means for you:
- Schedule extra chefs and delivery drivers from two hours before kickoff until half an hour after. For the Netherlands – Japan match at 10:00 PM, this means you must be at full strength between 8:00 PM and 10:30 PM.
- Prepare mise-en-place well in advance. Pre-cut, pre-marinated, pre-portioned.
- For late matches (such as Tunisia – Netherlands at 1:00 AM): consider whether you should open at all. The peak there is between 11:00 PM and 12:30 AM — a late shift, higher staff costs, but also higher margins.
3. Temporarily Reduce Your Delivery Area
A big mistake many restaurants make: simply maintaining the same delivery area during a peak. The result? Delivery drivers are stuck in traffic, food arrives cold, customers call to complain — and order elsewhere next time.
Our tip: reduce your delivery area by 20 to 30 percent during World Cup evenings. Better to have 80 satisfied customers than 120 dissatisfied ones. With CashDesk, you can adjust your delivery area per time of day, so narrower between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM than on a quiet Tuesday.
4. Direct Customers to Your Own Website (and Save Thousands in Commission)
This is the biggest financial opportunity of the World Cup. A calculation example: suppose you process 200 orders averaging €35 on a Netherlands match night. That is €7,000 in revenue. With a 14% commission via Take-Away, you lose €980 in one evening. With a 30% commission via Scoober, that rises to €2,100.
Can you get those same customers to your own ordering website? Then you keep that amount in your pocket. How to handle this before and during the World Cup:
- Build a mailing list now with customers who are going to celebrate the World Cup — announce your World Cup menu via email or WhatsApp.
- Print flyers with a QR code to your own ordering website and include them in every order in May and early June.
- Send customers a reminder on match day (“The Netherlands plays tonight! Order your World Cup box directly from us.”)
- Offer an extra incentive for those who order via your own site: free soda, a dessert, or a 5% discount.
Customers like Pizzeria Luigi (60%), AnyTyme Asten (70%), and Central Kitchen (84%) have shown it is possible: the majority of your orders directly via your own website. The World Cup is the perfect moment to give that share a boost.
5. Ensure Your Payment and POS System Can Handle the Peak
Nothing is more disastrous than a POS system that crashes the moment orders start pouring in. Check before June 11:
- Are all your receipt printers in the kitchen and delivery department working?
- Is your internet connection stable enough for 5x your normal order volume?
- Do your payment links (iDEAL, Apple Pay, Google Pay) work on all devices?
- Do you have a backup if one delivery driver drops out?
6. Turn the World Cup into a Marketing Moment
This goes beyond just revenue on the match days themselves. The World Cup is an opportunity to acquire new customers who will remember you afterwards:
- Post the full Netherlands schedule on your website (this attracts search traffic).
- Post a short video on Instagram or TikTok every match day showing your kitchen in action.
- Offer World Cup pools in your restaurant — winners receive vouchers for your own ordering website.
- Ensure your Google Business Profile is up-to-date with opening hours and any adjusted World Cup hours.
Checklist: What Needs to Be Ready and When?
4 weeks before kickoff (by mid-May at the latest):
- Assemble World Cup menu and post it on the website
- Finalize staff planning per match day
- Set up delivery areas per time of day in your POS system
- Marketing campaign (email, social, flyers) ready
1 week before kickoff:
- Purchasing aligned with expected volumes
- Delivery drivers informed about schedule and routes
- Run a test on a Friday evening
- Double the stock of packaging materials
On the match day itself:
- Mise-en-place starting from the afternoon
- Staff at full strength from 2 hours before kickoff
- Own-website promotion activated
- Backup delivery driver on standby
In conclusion
The 2026 World Cup is a goldmine for delivery restaurants that prepare — and a disaster for those that don’t. The late match times require a different playbook than previous World Cups, but that playbook is easy to create with a good POS and ordering system.
Want to know how to prepare your own ordering website, delivery areas, and staff planning for June 11 with CashDesk?
Frequently asked questions about the 2026 World Cup for delivery restaurants
When does the Netherlands play in the 2026 World Cup?
The Dutch national team will play three group stage matches in the 2026 World Cup: Sunday, June 14 at 10:00 PM against Japan, Saturday, June 20 at 7:00 PM against Sweden, and during the night of Thursday, June 25 to Friday, June 26 at 1:00 AM against Tunisia. If they advance to the knockout stage, more matches will follow from June 28, with the final on Sunday, July 19 at 9:00 PM Dutch time.
Which evenings will be the busiest for my delivery restaurant during the 2026 World Cup?
The busiest evenings will be the matches where the Dutch team plays at a standard time: Sunday, June 14 (10:00 PM) and Saturday, June 20 (7:00 PM). Additionally, the final on July 19 and matches featuring popular countries such as Belgium, Germany, England, and Brazil will cause extra peaks in orders — especially if they fall during prime time between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM.
How do I prepare my delivery restaurant for the rush during the World Cup?
Begin preparations at least four weeks before June 11. Create a customized World Cup menu featuring shareable dishes and family deals, schedule extra chefs and delivery drivers starting two hours before kickoff, temporarily reduce your delivery area by 20 to 30 percent to keep delivery times under control, and ensure your payment and POS system is stress-test proof. Actively direct customers to your own ordering website to save on platform commission costs.
When is the peak ordering time during a World Cup match?
The main peak occurs between two hours and half an hour before kickoff. Customers want their food on the table before the match begins. During the match itself, it is remarkably quiet, with a short second peak around halftime and immediately after the final whistle for snacks, desserts, and drinks. For the Netherlands – Japan match at 10:00 PM, this means you must be at full strength between 8:00 PM and 10:30 PM.
Should I keep my delivery restaurant open for Tunisia – Netherlands at 1:00 AM?
For most delivery restaurants, this is not profitable. The peak occurs between 11:00 PM and 12:30 AM, which requires a late shift schedule and results in higher personnel costs. Only restaurants that structurally offer late hours or night delivery, or those located in nightlife areas, can benefit from this match. For most entrepreneurs, it is wiser to focus on the matches against Japan and Sweden.
How do I drive more customers to my own ordering website instead of Take-Awy during the World Cup?
Build a mailing list of existing customers before the World Cup and announce your World Cup menu via email or WhatsApp. Include flyers with a QR code leading to your own ordering website in every order during May and early June. Send a reminder on match day and offer an extra incentive for those who order through your own site, such as a free soft drink or a five percent discount. On an evening when the Dutch team plays with 200 orders of 35 euros, you can easily save one to two thousand euros in commission costs.
Why is it smart to reduce my delivery area during the World Cup?
A delivery area that is too large during a peak leads to long delivery times, cold food, and dissatisfied customers who will order elsewhere next time. By reducing your delivery area by 20 to 30 percent during World Cup evenings, you keep delivery times under control and provide better quality. With CashDesk, you can set your delivery area per time slot, allowing you to narrow it only during match evenings without affecting quieter days.
Sources
- Take-Awy.nl, press release “Busiest day of the year for Take-Awy.nl” (December 2024). Read the press release
- NOS, “Busiest January 1st ever for Take-Awy” (January 2021) – nearly 300,000 orders on New Year’s Day, twice as many as on a regular Friday. View article
- Take-Awy.nl, press release 2024 – three times more orders expected than on a normal Monday. Read the press release
- FIFA, official match schedule World Cup 2026 – June 11 to July 19, 2026, 48 participating countries, 104 matches in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
- WK2026voetbal.nl, full match schedule with Dutch kick-off times including the Netherlands’ matches in Group F. View match schedule
- NOS, exclusive broadcasting rights for World Cup 2026 on NPO 1, NPO 2, and NPO 3.
- Entree Magazine, “Delivery service rates a dilemma for hospitality businesses” – Take-Awy commission 14% for ordering only, 30% for ordering including delivery via Scoober. Read article
- Het Deventer Nieuws, “Space for the hospitality industry during the World Cup” – municipalities grant exemptions for broadcasting matches outside regular opening hours. View article
Last update: May 2, 2026. Do you have any additions or corrections? Please contact us.
About the figures in this article
The predictions regarding order volume during the 2026 World Cup in this article are derived from publicly available data on peak days at Take-Awy, specifically New Year’s Day. For a Dutch World Cup featuring matches of the national team during prime time, no public order figures per match day are available; the numbers and peak hours mentioned in this article are practical calculation examples intended to support your preparation, not to predict absolute outcomes. The actual volume depends on factors such as the performance of the national team, the weather, and local competition. For figures specific to your restaurant, we recommend consulting your own order history from previous busy evenings.
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