Aldi expected to record its busiest beer sales day of the year on Saturday as England prepared to face Norway in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The supermarket said the late-night kick-off was likely to prompt a surge in shoppers stocking up for watch parties, with football and food retail once again moving in step.

In a statement issued through its press centre, Aldi said customers were expected to buy almost 2 million beers, 1 million packs of crisps and 430,000 pizzas on the day itself. Across the week, it forecast sales of 8.2 million beers, 5.7 million packs of crisps and 2.1 million pizzas, underlining how major tournament fixtures drove demand for match-night staples.

The retailer also pointed to the continuing heatwave, predicting that ice cream sales would rise sharply too. Aldi said about 4.5 million ice creams were likely to be sold over the week, adding another seasonal boost to what it believed would be one of its strongest trading periods of the year.

Julie Ashfield, Aldi UK’s chief commercial officer, said the England match would bring shoppers together and that the chain was ready to provide “everything football fans need for a winning watch party, all at Aldi’s unbeatable value.” England reached the last eight after a dramatic win over Mexico, while reports from US sports outlets said Norway had advanced with a victory over Brazil, setting up a quarter-final that had already drawn heavy betting interest.

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