Bali Gears Up for World Cup 2026 as National Flag Sales Surge

SUARA NEGERI | BALI — A week before the opening ceremony of the World Cup, on Thursday (June 11th), vendors selling flags from various countries were seen on the streets of the city center. As reported, the World Cup will be held in three countries.

The three host cities will be Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

The opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup will be held over two days, June 11th-12th, or Friday (June 12th) and Saturday (June 13th) Indonesian time. 

FIFA has appointed Mexico as the host, with the first opening ceremony taking place on June 11th local time, or early Friday (June 12th) Indonesian time.

This coincides with the expansion of the World Cup this year, which for the first time has 48 teams. 

This euphoria is felt worldwide, where fanaticism for the participating countries is manifested in the display of their flags.

A flag vendor on Jalan Supratman said that they sell flags of participating countries almost every time there is a European or World Cup.

"All the flags are bought from Java and resold here. Small ones sell for 100,000 rupiah and large ones for 120,000 rupiah," explained Budiman, from East Java.

He also admitted that he doesn't sell alone, but in groups spread across several locations in Denpasar and Badung, Bali. He also mentioned that he doesn't sell all the flags of the participating countries.

"I only sell the ones that are in high demand, like those from England and the Netherlands, which are currently selling very well," he admitted. (Aro/Made)