People in Shanghai watch the football match on the night of the opening of the 2022 World Cup on November 20, enjoying the fun of the event every four years. Photo:IC

Despite the distance and the five-hour time difference between China and Qatar, Chinese soccer fans are still following the ongoing Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup with passion. KFC restaurants across China sold more than 250,000 chicken nuggets in just three hours on Sunday night.

Data from Meituan, a food delivery ordering platform, showed that in the three hours before the World Cup, the number of night snack orders increased by 25.8 percent from the same time last week, and the number of takeaway orders reached the peak in nearly a week.

Hamburgers, fried chicken, rice noodles, and barbecue became the highest sales of night food takeout categories. Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou have become the TOP5 cities with the highest order volume before the opening match of the World Cup.

In addition, the number of restaurants offering Word Cup-related dishes and set meals in the week leading up to the World Cup has more than doubled compared to the previous week.

A number of food delivery platforms and catering companies have also launched World Cup-themed events and menus to attract consumers.