Colombia’s performance in the 2026 World Cup increased attendance and spending at bars and restaurants before the team’s elimination.
DANE estimated that the so-called World Cup effect could generate an additional 656 billion pesos for bars and restaurants. The Colombian Association of Bars and Restaurants reported that average customer stay rose from 45-70 minutes to 120-150 minutes, with sales increases of 30 % to 60 % in adapted venues.
Pablo Hernández, a founder of the bar VAR, noted that the average ticket reached 100,000 pesos during Colombia matches, compared with 40,000 pesos in other games. Entrepreneurs observed higher consumption in the Saturday match against Portugal and the round-of-16 game against Switzerland.
The loss to Switzerland that eliminated the Tricolor marked a drop in enthusiasm. Hernández said: “In Colombia we get excited easily.” VAR owners stated that sales could have doubled had the euphoria continued.
