Brits brace for summer football spending surge

• Football fans expected to shell out more than £400 on eating out, and over £200 on takeaways over the course of the largest international football tournament this summer.
• A further £200 on taxis and nearly £240 on petrol or EV charging will be spent to get them to and from their viewing venue of choice.
• Three-quarters plan to host friends or family throughout the five-weeks of matches, with over half expecting to spend more money if the country they’re supporting performs well
• Santander today kicks-off its new Rewards Credit Card offering 3% cashback on everyday travel, eating out and takeaway spending for the first 12 months, with no cashback cap and no annual fee¹

Brits are bracing for a football spending surge, with fans expecting to fork out hundreds of pounds watching this year’s summer tournament.

With the cost of attending the US hosted games already hitting the headlines, new research from Santander UK has revealed that fans who watch all eight games from the UK could fork out on average £630 when eating and drinking out – more than the pricey cost of some tickets to watch a match in North America.

Just watching the three group games with food and drink could cost an estimated £236 in itself. Many viewers plan to keep their hunger ‘on side’ during the matches with a whopping £410.40 spent on dining out and a further £211.20 spent on takeaways, across the course of the competition.

The late night and early morning kick-off times could also leave an extra dent in footy fans’ pockets, with spectators watching in the UK expected to spend over £200 on taxis. Those able to make the night bus or last train look set to spend £184 on public transport while those whose game-plan is to drive, will spend more than £230 on fuel or EV charging.   

Supporters are also planning to spend heavily on championship extras, including an average of £84 on a new kit, in addition to accessories (£66), decorations for their home (£66) and collectables such as footballs and trophies (£75) across the five weeks of matches.

More than half (52%) say their team doing well influences how much they spend, which could be interesting news for England fans’ wallets, given the team are widely favourited to make the final. 

Despite the costs, almost all football fans (97%) agree major football tournaments bring people together socially, with three-quarters (76%) of fans say they plan to invite friends or family over for at least one match. 

Gerry Davies, Payments Commercial Director at Santander UK said: “Football has a unique ability to bring people together, and this summer’s tournament looks set to be no different. Whether fans are watching from the stands or hosting friends at home, many will be spending more to make the experience one to remember.
“For those following every group match, costs could top £230 before the knockout stages even begin and the further their team progresses, the more fans are looking to spend.

“Our new Santander Rewards Credit Card has been designed to help customers get more from the money they are already planning to spend, with 3% cashback on everyday travel, eating out and takeaways. So, whatever happens on the pitch, customers can still get something back from the moments they enjoy most.”

To help customers score from their summer spending, Santander has launched its new Rewards Credit Card, offering 3% cashback on everyday travel, eating out and takeaway spending, including cashback on trains, buses, TfL, petrol, EV charging & taxis and in restaurants, cafes and on takeaways, for the first 12 months. It offers 0.25% cashback on all other spending, with no monthly fees or cashback caps. 

The Santander Rewards Credit Card offers the same cashback perks abroad, and free foreign exchange spending², allowing those travelling to Mexico, USA or Canada to watch the games in person to also benefit.

For more information and to apply for a Santander Rewards Credit Cards, visit https://www.santander.co.uk/personal/credit-cards 

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The information contained in our press releases is intended solely for journalists and should not be used by consumers to make financial decisions.
 

Notes to editors:
1)    Interest on balances is charged at 24.9% APR. Customers can apply for the Santander Rewards Credit Card online, over the phone, or in branch. To be eligible for the card customers must be aged 18 or over and have an income of £10,500+ per year and live in the UK permanently. The Santander Rewards Credit Card has no monthly cap on the amount of cashback that can be earned and comes with no foreign exchange fees for using the card abroad. Customers can earn 3% cashback on payments related to:

2)    Other fees, including cash withdrawal fees, may apply.

Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. The bank serves its customers via a nationwide branch network, telephone, mobile and online banking. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the FCA and the PRA in the UK. Santander UK plc customers’ eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS in the UK.

Banco Santander (SAN SM) is a leading commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain and one of the largest banks in the world by market capitalization. The group’s activities are consolidated into five global businesses: Retail & Commercial Banking, Openbank, Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB), Wealth Management & Insurance and Payments. This operating model allows the bank to better leverage its unique combination of global scale and local leadership. Santander aims to be the best open financial services platform providing services to individuals, SMEs, corporates, financial institutions and governments. The bank’s purpose is to help people and businesses prosper in a simple, personal and fair way. At the end of 2025, Banco Santander had €1.4 trillion in total funds, more than 180 million customers, 7,100 branches and 198,000 employees.