The National Energy System Operator (NESO) , responsible for balancing the supply and demand of electricity in Great Britain in real time, published on its official LinkedIn account a comparison of British and Norwegian consumption during the quarter-final match between the two teams, bringing the clash between England and Argentina for the semi-final of the 2026 World Cup to the field of the operation of electrical systems.
However, the technical analysis concluded with a statement directed at the Wholesale Electricity Market Management Company (CAMMESA) :
“May the best team win on Wednesday... unless it's Argentina. No hard feelings, CAMMESA,” NESO wrote.
The publication was accompanied by a comparison of electricity demand across the North Sea during the England vs. Norway match, based on data compiled in collaboration with the Norwegian operator Statnett .
According to the report, electricity consumption in Norway had fallen by 2.9% by the time of the break , while in Great Britain the reduction was 2.8% . demonstrating virtually identical movements in both systems.
From British tea to the Argentine “W-curve”
Electrical activity during matches follows collective routines. While the game is in progress, some domestic activity decreases. At halftime and after the final whistle, millions of people turn on appliances, open refrigerators, prepare drinks, or start cooking almost simultaneously.
NESO calls this phenomenon "TV pickup" , a capture of load associated with the pauses of high-audience television events.
Before the World Cup, the operator estimated that each England or Scotland match during the group stage could generate an increase of around 600 MW . It also projected that between 40% and 50% of the electricity used during the tournament would come from renewable sources .
The agency also estimated that Britain would consume about 20% less electricity to watch the matches than in 1998 , due to the greater efficiency of televisions and other devices, despite the population growth recorded since then.
During the England vs. Democratic Republic of Congo match, the effect exceeded those initial forecasts. National demand increased by approximately 1.2 GW at halftime and 1.7 GW at the end of the match , according to the operator.
“Halftime whistle. Kettles on. Refrigerators open,” NESO summarized when explaining the spike recorded by the system.
The British administrator indicated that “a suspended match, at the right time of day, created a classic television catch-up as millions of people moved at the same time” to prepare tea, look for snacks or start dinner.
These variations are not unprecedented for Great Britain. The record remains with the 1990 semi-final between England and West Germany, when the penalty shootout was followed by a 2800 MW increase, equivalent, according to NESO, to the simultaneous lighting of more than one million kettles.
The 2018 World Cup saw another surge of 1400 MW after England eliminated Colombia on penalties. During the 2022 quarter-final against France, the halftime surge reached 914 MW .
The match against Mexico in the 2026 tournament presented a different dynamic because it was played at two in the morning on a working day.
“England’s 3-2 victory over Mexico may have been dramatic, but at 2 a.m. on a weekday, it seems many fans chose sleep over football,” the operator acknowledged.
Despite the timing, the grid felt the effect of the match: the load increased by 400 MW during halftime and another 100 MW at the end , when some of the spectators resumed their domestic activities.
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Argentina exhibited a similar dynamic during the match against Egypt. From the start until halftime, demand on the SADI (Argentine Interconnected System) dropped by approximately 2000 MW, a sign of the effect that a massive concentration of spectators has on normal consumption.
The pause changed the trajectory in a matter of minutes: the system recovered around 600 MW in 12 minutes. Then, during the second half, it dropped again by about 1850 MW, while after the final whistle it rebounded by approximately 1100 MW in one hour.
This movement forced CAMMESA to reinforce operations between 12:00 and 16:30, maintain active reserves, and use the Río Grande and Los Reyunos power plants in pumping mode. It also temporarily raised the frequency setpoint to 50.10 Hz before the end of each period to anticipate abrupt changes.
“Electricity demand also plays its part,” CAMMESA stated when presenting the technical reports corresponding to the decisive stages of the World Cup.
The wholesale market administrator warns that "changes in consumption at the beginning, halftime, and end of each match generate abrupt variations in load that require careful operational coordination."
Thus, while NESO recorded the impact of British usage patterns during each pause, CAMMESA responded to a fluctuation of up to 2000 MW with hydroelectric resources, pumping, and real-time operational adjustments. The comparison reveals two distinct cultures, but a shared challenge for operators: maintaining balance when millions of users are operating simultaneously.
CAMMESA also published an analysis of Argentina's matches against Algeria, Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Egypt. This analysis reveals how factors such as time of day, competition, temperature, and audience size influence the depth of each segment of the curve.
The comparison prior to the semi-final demonstrates that, despite cultural differences, both systems face the same physical challenge: to instantly balance generation and consumption when millions of users modify their habits in a synchronized manner .
Batteries: two strategies to bring flexibility to the networks
The football discussion coincides with a period of expansion in energy storage in both countries. The United Kingdom is moving forward with long-term projects , while Argentina has awarded distributed capacity at critical nodes of the Argentine Interconnection System (SADI) .
Ofgem has announced preliminary decisions for the first window of its Cap and Floor scheme, aimed at accelerating long-duration energy storage technologies. The projects under consideration total 47.7 GWh and include facilities capable of delivering electricity for periods of up to 18 hours .
These power plants are designed for a broader function than simply responding to a sporting event. They allow for the transfer of surplus renewable energy between time slots, cover extended periods of low wind or solar generation, and reduce the need to rely on conventional power plants during periods of high demand.
However, batteries and pumped hydro storage are also part of the resources available to respond to sudden load increases and maintain system balance during massive events .
Argentina, for its part, formalized the award of 700.5 MW in the AlmaSADI tender. The call for bids received 235 offers for more than 8,300 MW , almost twelve times the capacity initially sought, and selected proposals from Genneia, DQD Energy, 360Energy, Aluar, and Intermepro.
The 20 awarded projects will be distributed across seven regions and will require an estimated investment of close to $700 million , with the purpose of strengthening vulnerable nodes, reducing disruptions and increasing the flexibility of the interconnected system.
Although these developments are not specifically designed to serve football matches, their ability to quickly absorb or inject power can strengthen the response of the grids to abrupt variations, contingencies, and an increasing share of renewable generation .
Behind the NESO publication and the rivalry between England and Argentina lies a common challenge for both operators: anticipating collective behavior, having flexible resources, and maintaining electrical balance second by second .
The semifinal will be decided on the field. Meanwhile, the control centers of both countries will be playing their own game, ensuring that every change in demand occurs seamlessly, imperceptibly to the spectators. And if the pre-match spectacle is already being played out in the control centers, Argentina arrives with a difficult-to-measure advantage in MW: experience managing extreme peaks, simultaneous pressure, and matches that rarely end without tension . NESO issued the provocation; CAMMESA, meanwhile, has already demonstrated its ability to handle peaks, dips, and high-pressure finishes.