By Brian Hernandez
Americans love pretending they don’t care about soccer right up until the World Cup starts. Then the same people who haven’t watched a match in four years suddenly remember how offsides works and start acting like they’ve been emotionally invested in Uzbekistan’s midfield depth since birth. That’s kind of the point, though. Big events override normal fandom rules. People want to feel part of something bigger for a little while, and the World Cup does that better than almost anything. It brings out not only soccer fans, but global soccer fans. And I’m willing to bet most of them like pizza.
That’s why Domino’s latest promotion actually makes a lot of sense. The chain recently announced its “Emergency Pizzas for Red Cards” campaign, where fans can score free pizza if a U.S. player gets red-carded during matches this summer. It’s goofy, simple and tied directly to live moments happening during games, which is exactly why it works. Sports promotions always work better when customers feel like they’re reacting to something unfolding in real time. It gives the customer ownership in the game and the giveaway.
But the real takeaway for independents isn’t the promotion itself. It’s the reminder that the World Cup creates a ridiculous number of marketing opportunities if operators are willing to think beyond the usual “game day special” approach. The Super Bowl gives you one giant day to capitalize on football fever. The World Cup gives you weeks of games, multiple host cities, nonstop storylines, loyal fan bases and emotional swings happening almost daily.
Well, OK… that sounds like the NFL too, but this is different. It draws massive international crowds into U.S. cities while also bringing out the closeted fútbol fans in your own town. Operators can market around countries, teams, host cities, specific players or moments during matches, and every angle creates another reason for customers to engage.
The Independent Pizzeria’s Marketing Playbook
That flexibility is where independents actually have an advantage over chains. A national chain has to build one promotion that works everywhere. A local pizzeria can build promotions around its own community, and operators usually already know where the local passion is. Maybe your town has a huge Tigres UANL following. Maybe it’s Liverpool or Arsenal fans packing a neighborhood pub every weekend at breakfast time…because that’s normal behavior. Even people who know absolutely nothing about soccer usually know those fans in town who live and breathe it year-round. Lean into that energy.
And with World Cup matches spread across multiple U.S. cities, there’s also going to be a wave of traveling fans wandering around in jerseys looking for food before and after matches.
The best part is that the World Cup schedule practically creates built-in content for a full month straight. Operators can build promotions around entire countries, specific matches, dramatic moments or the overall tournament structure itself.
General World Cup promotional ideas could include:
- Bracket contests where winners earn free pizza during the finals
- “Goal Scored” discounts whenever Team USA scores
- “Extra Time” specials if matches go into overtime
- Country-themed pizzas tied to featured matchups
- Jersey-wearing discounts on game days
- Breakfast pizza specials for early morning matches
- Pick-the-score contests on social media
- Free toppings if matches end in penalty kicks
- Daily specials themed around whichever countries are playing that day
- “Lick Your Wounds” discounts tied to controversial ejections or upsets, or fans wearing a losing team’s jersey.
Operators in host cities can think even bigger because they’ll have actual tourism traffic and crowds moving through town for weeks. Cities hosting matches are going to feel more like mini Olympics than regular sporting events.
If World Cup matches are happening in your city, consider these marketing options:
- Create host-city-themed pizzas or limited-time menus
- Partner with bars that don’t serve food
- Extend hours for postgame traffic
- Offer quick-grab slices for fans heading to stadiums
- Build multilingual signage or menus
- Sponsor local watch parties or fan zones
- Run delivery specials near hotels and entertainment districts
- Create collectible merch tied to the event
- Offer late-night postmatch deals for crowds leaving bars and viewing parties
Then there’s another angle altogether: choosing a team. Now, that can absolutely get polarizing because soccer fandom can get intense in ways American sports fans sometimes underestimate. Supporting one country means somebody else immediately wants to argue with you about it, just out of raw instinct. But that passion is also what makes it fun.
If you’ve decided to lean into supporting one country or team, try this:
- Decorate the dining room in that country’s colors (that should be a given)
- Learn about that team’s lore and history and incorporate it into décor and menu themes
- Create pizzas inspired by that nation’s cuisine
- Offer victory specials whenever the team wins
- Offer smaller loser discounts for when they don’t
- Host watch parties specifically for that fanbase
- Create menu items named after star players
- Reward customers for wearing specific jerseys
- Run good-natured social media trash talk during rivalry matches
- Partner with local cultural organizations or clubs
And since many pizzeria operators already sponsor local soccer teams, get them involved. Donate a portion of sales during matches, host team nights or bring players into the restaurant to help work the counter during big games. Youth sports families already travel in packs and spend money in groups. The World Cup simply gives operators another excuse to turn that community involvement into an event.
And if an owner personally loves a certain team? Even better. Customers tend to respond when promotions feel authentic instead of corporate-tested inside a marketing lab. If you’re genuinely obsessed with Argentina, Mexico, England or Brazil, lean into it. Put the flag up. Name a pizza after a player. Turn the shop into headquarters for that fanbase during matches. People love businesses that feel genuinely connected to the event instead of just opportunistically chasing traffic. Plus you have the passion of the owner if you have to defend your team’s honor from any hooligan’s shenanigans.
Whether Americans care about or even fully understand soccer isn’t really the point. For a few weeks during the World Cup, they care enough to pack bars and pizzerias and spend hours screaming at TVs over games they normally wouldn’t watch. That creates a huge opportunity for pizza operators willing to lean into the moment with country-themed pies, watch parties, late-night specials or promotions that make their shop part of the experience. Because long after customers forget the final score, they usually remember where they watched the match and what they ate while doing it.
Brian Hernandez is PMQ’s associate editor and coordinator of PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team.
