Major Sporting Events in 2026 to Boost Textile Industry Performance; Far Eastern New Era, Eclat, and Others See Orders Clarify
Major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup and the Winter Olympics are set to kick off in 2026. Coupled with the stabilization of reciprocal tariffs, demand from global brand clients is becoming clearer, and order momentum is gradually strengthening. Companies involved in high-functionality upstream and midstream textiles—Far Eastern New Era (1402.TW), Shinkong Synthetic Fibers (1409.TW), and Formosa Taffeta (1434.TW)—along with apparel manufacturers specializing in sportswear and functional apparel like Eclat Textile (1476.TW), Guang Yue (4438.TW), and Kuanhsiang (4439.TW), are expected to receive a boost in operations.
The textile industry believes several large sporting events will add value to their operations and potentially lead to additional orders from global brands in 2026. These include the 25th Winter Olympic Games in Italy and the FIFA World Cup hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Far Eastern New Era (FENC) pointed out that international major events will drive demand for functional yarns and fabrics. The 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics are both expected to boost related orders, with demand potentially seeing exponential growth.
FENC's recycled green textiles, such as recycled ocean polyester, have long been adopted by manufacturers like Adidas. In past years, these materials were already used by European football teams and Olympic participating teams, serving as fabric suppliers for multiple national teams including the USA, France, and Canada. FENC anticipates that more teams will adopt their materials for the 2026 World Cup.
Long before eco-friendly yarns became mainstream textiles, Shinkong Synthetic Fibers (SSFC) began deploying relevant technology to produce them. Through the development of special polyester fibers using environmentally friendly raw materials, SSFC has long been a supplier for World Cup jerseys. SSFC noted that at least three manufacturers supplying functional sportswear for the 2026 World Cup teams are currently their clients.
Formosa Taffeta (FTC) has consistently maintained innovation and development of high-functionality woven fabrics. With the negative impact of tariffs gradually stabilizing, FTC expects long-fiber revenue to grow by approximately 5% to 10% next year.
Functional fabric accounts for 25% to 30% of Eclat Textile's total revenue. Global renowned sportswear brands such as Adidas, Nike, Puma, Reebok, and Under Armour are all clients.
Eclat indicated that with US tariffs settled, customer ordering has moved past its lowest point. Order visibility has returned from three months to a normal six-month level, and demand is gradually warming up.
Kuanhsiang (Kuanhsiang-KY) is one of the main suppliers of functional fabrics for Adidas. Benefiting from Adidas increasing its promotional efforts for the 2026 World Cup, the supply chain momentum is expected to follow suit. Kuanhsiang currently has order visibility extending to the second quarter of 2026.
