Buskers roped in to World Cup to sing chants for sober fan on booze-free beer

Brewers have spent billions perfecting low and no alcohol ales for the football tournament but recognise ringers may be required to get the party started

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Drinks giants plan to blitz the World Cup with booze-free beer – then bring in buskers to sing football chants normally reserved for drunken fans.

Brewers have spent billions perfecting low and no alcohol ales for next month’s tournament so fans watching long matches at stadiums and Brits viewing the action on TV into the early hours can survive mega sessions.

But they recognise going booze-free may quieten down football crowds. So they plan to bring in singers to get the soccer party started.

Damian McKinney, chief executive officer of DioniLife which owns UK-based non-alcoholic brewery Mash Gang, said the World Cup was a major opportunity to normalise alcohol-free beer within mainstream sports.

He said: “The FIFA World Cup isn’t just another date in the retail calendar – it’s a global cultural moment that brings people together and captures attention like nothing else. Alcohol-free beer naturally thrives in game-watching settings because it allows everyone to feel part of the action.”

Damian said sports fans still want the social rituals and shared atmosphere traditionally associated with beer even as more consumers moderate their alcohol intake.

“I’m a beer drinker. I enjoy having a beer during sports moments and social occasions,” he said. “So I still want something that hydrates but I also want something that’s sessionable.”

Damian believes the tournament’s summer timing, long match schedules, and daytime viewing across multiple time zones will increase demand for alcohol-free drinks that allow fans to socialise for extended periods without increasing alcohol intake.

Mash Gang is targeting consumers who alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer.

With many World Cup matches expected to air into the early hours in Europe, Mash Gang sees zero-proof beer as a way for fans to keep their sports-viewing rituals without derailing work schedules, fitness routines, or health goals.

“We’re looking at outdoor activations around sports bars and fan areas near World Cup games in the US,” said Damian. “We’ve developed a plan involving buskers and beer, where buskers will perform the traditional songs and chants supporters would normally sing during a soccer match.”

The move is designed to recreate the communal atmosphere traditionally associated with beer and live sports – without a booze-fest. “We’re trying to find interesting ways to share the beer with people,” he said.

Damian said the category was evolving beyond sober messaging toward something more centered on inclusion, participation, and premium drinking experiences – a shift that is shaping World Cup drink marketing.

He believes the future is not about abstinence but belonging. “I think by 2030, non-alcoholic products could represent 20% of the drinking experience,” he said.

The tournament comes at a time of change in global drinking habits. Gallup recently found the percentage of Americans who drink alcohol has fallen to 54% – the lowest level in nearly 90 years. A majority now believe even moderate drinking is harmful to health.

Younger consumers are driving the shift, embracing moderation, alcohol-free alternatives, and ‘zebra striping’ between alcoholic and booze-free drinks. At the same time non-alcoholic beverages have become one of the fastest-growing categories in the drink industry.

Anheuser-Busch InBev, one of FIFA’s major sponsors, has reported a 27% rise in revenue from its non-alcoholic beer driven by brands including Corona Cero, Michelob Ultra Zero, and Budweiser Zero.

The 2026 World Cup may become the alcohol industry’s biggest test yet of whether moderation can be marketed at a global scale.

Barclays analysts wrote in a recent study that forecasted growth in premium and zero-alcohol categories during the tournament: “The World Cup not only boosts beer volumes but transforms how and what people drink.”

Research by Heineken found 81% of people surveyed actively choose to moderate alcohol consumption while 79% said non-alcoholic beverages allow them to ‘be part of the fun without drinking alcohol’.

That trend gained significant momentum during the 2022 Qatar World Cup when organisers suddenly banned alcohol sales inside stadiums days before the tournament began.

Drink industry analyst Gabe Sanchez told Business Insider ale’s World Cup winners will be the brands that ‘understand that beer’s future with younger consumers isn’t about drinking more, it’s about belonging more.”

TOP FIVE SOBER FOOTBALL CHANTS

1 We love you sobriety we do

2 The referee’s a teetotaller

3 You’re not drinking anymore

4 I’m forever blowing non-alcoholic bubbles

5 Where were you when you were squiffy