Yiwu's World Cup

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is about to kick off this week, but Yiwu has already scored an early goal.

There's a popular saying: to predict the favorite, just check which team's merchandise has the largest orders in Yiwu.

During my days observing the Yiwu market, I met many "hidden champions" of World Cup-related products and caught a glimpse of the sizzling tournament atmospher through these local merchants.

One family, in particular, stood out to me, that is their long-established plush toy factory secured an official license for World Cup IP derivatives last year. I was curious to learn how they found their way along this new path.