News / Food rituals on game day

Deliveroo Reveals Football Season’s Most Popular Snack

Deliveroo has partnered with YouGov for an eye-opening revelation of the UAE’s food quirks during the World Cup.

  • 50% of respondents take the longest to decide on what to order for dinner
  • To avoid any unnecessary interruptions while watching a game and waiting for food, 21% of the respondents leave very specific instructions and 28% keep their ringtones on the loudest settings
  • Pizza is at the top of the list with 34% of UAE foodies selecting it as their preferred game snack

    < 30 November 2022 The World Cup is on and UAE residents, football fans or not, have blocked their schedules to catch this season’s most exciting game series! What’s keeping residents at the edge of their seats is not just the intoxicating anticipation of the matches but the building stress of getting the perfect food order for a wholesome game-watching experience. Giving a peek into those funny ordering habits, Deliveroo has partnered with YouGov for an eye-opening revelation of the UAE’s food quirks during the World Cup.

    The best snack to munch on while watching a nail-biting match According to the survey, Pizza is the UAE’s favourite game snack.

    Game time means the pressure is on for the favourite teams to score a goal. While football fans have their eyes glued to the screen and their hearts in their mouth, findings showed that 34% chose Pizza as the UAE’s favourite easy-to-eat food buddy for the World Cup. Other favourites were Chips & Dips at 20% and Nachos at 15%.

    The way foodies eat their pizza is also a hot conversation topic bringing its own set of friendly debates on the ‘right’ way to enjoy the popular favourite. While 43% chose to start with the cheesy tip of the slice, a surprising 14% enjoy diving into pizza with a knife and fork. About 9% have left everyone questioning normalcy as they shared that their unique way of pizza indulgence begins with the crust. To each their own, football mania does beckon foodies to get creative when eating their favourite snack.

    The ordering process: *Respondents claim that ordering dinner takes them the longest to decide.


  • < With games starting as early as 2 PM, residents across the UAE start munching on the best football snacks around the same time. Deliveroo found out that regardless of when the match begins, the meal that takes the longest to decide on is dinner with 50% of respondents vouching for that vote. Coming in as a close second was lunch with 41%.

    The endless scrolls on the delivery app continue to be a trend during the World Cup season as well with about 9% of respondents needing more than 30 minutes to decide! Of course, the food complementing the match should be just what one needs to match the rush of adrenaline of a gripping game and the UAE makes no compromises. Almost half, about 43% of respondents, only allot 10 to 20 minutes to making their food order while there are also 29% of respondents out there that need up to 30 minutes.

    The wait time routine: *The consuming grip of the match is no secret to football fans who know just what to do once they place an order for their favourite snack. In burgeoning excitement, food lovers make sure their phone ringtone is on the loudest setting, leaving no room for missed calls from their delivery rider in the middle of a game.

    As they wait for the next headlining goal alongside their food delivery order, 30% of respondents shared that their ceiling-high excitement goes through the roof when they know that their order is on its way for delivery. Findings also showed (no surprises here) that 14% claimed they either felt impatient or were constantly looking for the slightest sign from the rider.

    With the rising anxiety of the match, managing emotions also gets tricky, especially when one is on an empty stomach. To ensure a seamless delivery, about 21% of food lovers leave very specific delivery instructions for their riders and the other 10% put a stop to everything they are doing to avoid any distractions. There is also a small population, a rough 2% that avoid all incoming calls to be completely available and alert for their rider to contact them.

    Fun foodie habits? Everyone has some
    Ketchup wins the battle of the sauces, and respondents reveal how they eat their pizza. *

    Extra sauce on the side? Yes, please! With Pizza winning the meal battle, its ally, Ketchup wins the game of the sauces with strong support from 50% of respondents. Mayonnaise was the second most preferred with 38% and at a close tie, 32% always go for barbecue sauce and 31% opt for hot sauce.

    Regardless of how long it takes to order a meal, the excitement of receiving an order will never fade, especially not during the largest football season. The trends revealed by Deliveroo and YouGov are proof that this World Cup, nothing is coming in between a UAE foodie and their food.

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