Lego sales rise as World Cup products draw new customers

By Helen Reid

LONDON, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Lego sales jumped 21% in the first half as soccer World Cup and Formula 1 sets attracted new customers, the Danish toy brand said on Tuesday.

Lego has won market share as its growth outpaces rival toymakers like Mattel and Hasbro , helped by a strategy of tie-ups with film and entertainment franchises, and producing more sets for adults as well as children.

Lego's revenue was 41.9 billion Danish crowns ($6.54 billion), up from 34.6 billion in the first half of 2025. Net profit increased 32% to 8.6 billion Danish crowns.

"The product portfolio is really, really strong and it hits new passion points in this first half," Lego CEO Niels Christiansen told Reuters in an interview. 

"We also see more kids in the brand, which is really exciting for us that we managed to grow both the number of kids and consumers active, and also the total amount that they're buying," Christiansen said.

Lego launched more than 330 new sets in the first half, including a $199.99 replica of the official FIFA World Cup trophy, Pokemon sets using its new interactive bricks, and K-Pop Demon Hunters sets that Christiansen said were particularly popular with girls.

OIL PRICES DRIVE COST OF PLASTICS UP

The surge in oil prices caused by the Iran war has driven up the cost of plastics Lego uses to make its bricks, and Christiansen said the company might see an impact in the second half but so far it has not been significant.

"We are impacted by higher oil prices, but because we purchase so much non-fossil-fuel-based material that is less correlated to the oil price, we've actually been able to manage relatively well," said Christiansen. Lego is in the process of shifting towards renewable and recyclable materials to make its bricks.

As it aims to produce closer to its main markets, Lego is building a factory and distribution centre in the U.S. state of Virginia, aiming to open by the middle of 2027. 

($1 = 6.4093 Danish crowns)

(Reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)