A foreign buyer selects World Cup-themed products at Yiwu International Expo Center in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 11, China-made products had already reached the global stage long before the opening whistle. From official match balls and replica World Cup trophies to event-supporting technologies and fast-selling merchandise, China's manufacturing ecosystem is demonstrating its efficiency, innovation and industrial strength on the world's biggest sporting stage.
"If you're in foreign trade, you have to cash in on the World Cup. Even socks need a World Cup-themed design," said Fan Linjuan, general manager of Yiwu Juanli Daily Necessities Co., Ltd.
Based in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province — a global hub for World Cup merchandise — Fan has witnessed the surge in demand firsthand. According to the Yiwu Sports and Fitness Products Industry Association, Yiwu supplied nearly 70% of the global market for World Cup merchandise during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Workers make footballs for global markets at the factory of a company in Nantong, east China's Jiangsu Province.
