This year marks Just Eat’s 20th anniversary in the UK and the 11th major international football tournament it’s served takeaways through, from Germany 2006 to the continued dominance of Spain in the 2024 Euros.
With the tournament kicking off next Thursday across the US, Canada and Mexico, Just Eat’s commercial VP (and manager of a grassroots football team) Andy Washington predicts what we might see over the coming weeks, from a surge in breakfast orders to a craving for Mexican.
Big on breakfast
With so many late-night games, breakfast orders will play a big role in how customers order this summer. On the Monday morning after both the Euros 2020 final (England v Italy held in 2021) and the Euros 2024 final (England v Spain) orders were up 40% versus a normal Monday.
Washington says: “Win or lose we know the very late nights will mean fans will be looking for a pick-me-up the next morning. We expect demand to soar for orders to both homes and offices the morning after each game, so we’ll be helping customers with money-off deals, free items on selected days and offers such as 49p delivery fees.”
Breakfast plays a significant role throughout the football season. Aston Villa’s recent win over Manchester City breakfast orders in Birmingham were up 10% the next day, showing how evening football consistently drives morning orders.
Winning appetites
Order patterns shift based on match results. In the 2024 Euros, England’s biggest knockout wins drove enormous post-match ordering surges of celebratory curries, chips and chicken chow meins, while the final defeat to Spain produced the lowest post-match hour on record.
Andy says, “We’ll be there to celebrate, whatever time the match ends – we’re increasing our 24-hour coverage to 95% of the UK.”
For those ordering late, Just Eat will be offering free delivery on selected late-night bites after 10 pm on selected match days.
The tartan army effect
The 2026 tournament is the first World Cup Scotland has qualified for in Just Eat’s 20-year history. While Just Eat prepares for order volume increases across England and Scotland (especially in later rounds), in the group stages the biggest increases are predicted for Scotland’s opening game (versus Haiti) and their second game on Friday night (versus Morocco).
Washington says: “This is a momentous occasion for Scotland, so we’re planning for a big increase in demand. Their opening match for the 2024 Euros was on a Friday night – orders rocketed to nearly 300,000.”
Going global
The cuisine of choice for most will be traditional takeaways with burgers, Indian and Chinese always topping the order charts. But Andy predicts some customers will try something new.
Andy says, “During the 2006 tournament in Germany we offered seven cuisines: pizza, Indian, burgers, Chinese, kebabs, fish & chips and chicken. Today, we have over 100 cuisines on the platform – we sell dishes from nearly every country playing in the tournament and the host nations. Whilst most customers will stick to their favourites we expect some to be inspired to try something new – whether it’s checking out a Canadian chain or enjoying their local Mexican.”
Snack time
And it’s not just all about takeaways. In the 2024 Euros Just Eat saw grocery uplift too, with customers ordering snacks and drinks for home-viewing. Since that tournament several new retail and grocery partners have joined the platform, so this summer Just Eat will be delivering even more – half-time snacks from Waitrose, wine orders from Majestic, even recovery essentials from Superdrug and Boots. On grocery items including snacks, pizzas and drinks customers will find 50% off selected items.
With 24-hour coverage now reaching 95% of the UK and over 100 cuisines on offer, Just Eat is geared up to serve customers through every kick-off, every goal, and every morning after.
