With the 2026 FIFA World Cup reaching its climax, the highly anticipated final match between football powerhouses Spain and Argentina is set to kick off at 3 AM Beijing time on Monday, July 20th. The timing coincides with the early hours of a standard workday. To allow fans to enjoy this premier annual sporting event without distraction and ensure they get adequate rest afterward, several prominent companies, including NetEase, 37 Interactive Entertainment, adidas AG, and Lenovo, have recently announced considerate policies, introducing a special holiday on Monday, July 20th, with flexible work arrangements.
As a major official partner of the World Cup, adidas Football posted a screenshot of an internal email on social media on July 16th. It announced that, to enable every colleague to fully enjoy the World Cup final, the company would grant a special one-day holiday on Monday, July 20th for all office staff, barring critical business meetings. adidas Sports (China) Co., Ltd. quickly reposted the message with the caption "If you're not coming to work, then neither am I," expressing support and anticipation for the break. adidas designed the tournament's official match ball, "TRIONDA," featuring smart chip technology and new panel construction to aid precise officiating and high-definition data collection. Furthermore, the complete kits for both finalists, Argentina and Spain, are custom tournament jerseys supplied by adidas. The brand sponsors 14 national teams in this tournament, the highest number among all sportswear brands.
Key Companies Leading the Charge
Several internet and entertainment companies have also rolled out flexible leave policies. On July 15th, NetEase issued a notice confirming a half-day paid holiday for all employees on the morning of July 20th. The company stated it hoped this dedicated break would allow staff to watch the entire final without juggling work commitments, immersing themselves in the passion of football and starting the new workweek in a relaxed and joyful state. As a leading domestic sports content platform, NetEase Media is the exclusive Chinese online media partner for two football giants in the 2026 World Cup: Argentina and France. Before the semi-finals, NetEase set a condition: if both its consecutively signed teams, France and Argentina, reached the final, all staff would get a half-day holiday on July 20th. France lost 0-2 to Spain, nullifying the condition. However, NetEase soon announced that regardless of the outcome, all employees would receive a half-day holiday on the morning of July 20th, captioning the post, "Football has winners and losers, but passion knows no defeat." The company's holiday announcement also mentioned, "When NetEase Media signed Lionel Messi's Argentina and Kylian Mbappé's France, we are supporting not just the teams, but also the passion, dreams, and those nights spent together in front of the screen that football brings us."
Following closely, 37 Interactive Entertainment announced its holiday benefit, specifying that all employees would have a no-clock-in rest period on the morning of the final. This leave will not count as lateness, absenteeism, or result in salary deduction. Employees do not need to submit a leave application and can return to work normally in the afternoon, streamlining the process and protecting employee rights to the greatest extent.
Widespread Adoption Across the Tech Sector
In addition, several other internet companies like Lingxi Interactive Entertainment and Big Event Technology have followed suit, introducing special Monday morning holiday policies, becoming key drivers of this wave of considerate benefits. Domestic gaming company Lingxi Interactive Entertainment officially announced its World Cup-specific holiday benefit on July 16th. Adopting a youthful and playful announcement style fitting its gaming culture, Lingxi packaged the holiday as an employee-exclusive "Event Benefit Dungeon" and announced the half-day holiday for the final in the name of the "CEO distributing benefits." Their official account post read, "Who wins (the World Cup) is unknown; the key point is Lingxi is taking a holiday."
Big Event Technology Group also posted on its official WeChat account on July 15th, stating the company was specially introducing a "World Cup Final · Half-Day Exclusive Holiday." Colleagues planning to watch the final must clock in at the match's start time, which will serve as the verification record. Moonton Technology also issued an announcement declaring a half-day holiday for all staff on the morning of July 20th. Moonton additionally mentioned that Friday's afternoon tea would be upgraded to a "World Cup Viewing Snack Pack" for employees to take home and enjoy while watching. Simultaneously, Moonton promoted its own MLBB Women's Invitational (MWI) Grand Finals, also scheduled for this weekend.
Alternative Flexible Arrangements
Differing from the direct, uniform holiday model of other firms, Lenovo's official Weibo account announced as early as June 9th that it was launching a World Cup "Sleep-In Card" for all employees in China, supporting staff to "watch the match and wake up before work!" With this card, employees can choose any one workday during the World Cup period to arrive 2 hours later or leave 2 hours earlier, on top of existing flexible work hours. As the Official Technology Partner for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, diverging from traditional brand sponsorship, Lenovo is providing comprehensive support for tournament operations through AI technology, smart hardware devices, and digital solutions.
Smaller Businesses Join the Trend
Beyond these major corporations, numerous small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across China have joined the trend, fueling a wave of World Cup暖心福利 (considerate benefits). Reports indicate that SMEs in internet, cultural creative, and e-commerce hubs are mostly adopting a "half-day holiday + flexible work" model. On Monday morning, only a minimal number of staff will be on duty to handle urgent matters, while the remaining employees can rest or watch the match in peace, with full staff resuming work in the afternoon to ensure business continuity.
Rationale Behind the Holiday Push
The World Cup final is a global sporting celebration for fans every tournament cycle. Compared to previous editions, this final's timing spans late night into early morning, concluding near dawn, leaving most fans unable to guarantee a full night's sleep. For the average working professional, diving straight into high-intensity work after staying up all night to watch the match can lead to issues like low energy and lack of concentration, significantly reducing work efficiency. Based on this practical reality, many companies this year have moved beyond rigid traditional attendance systems, proactively and flexibly adjusting workday schedules, demonstrating the thoughtful application of flexible management principles.
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