Lego sales surge 21% as World Cup and F1 sets drive record growth

Strong demand for FIFA World Cup collectibles, Formula 1 partnerships, and pop culture tie-ins pushed Lego’s first-half revenue to a record 41.9 billion Danish kroner, drastically outperforming rival toymakers.

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.

The increase in revenue for the first half of the year, reaching 41.9 billion Danish kroner (~$6.54 billion), while net profit surged 32% to 8.6 billion DKK.

The growth was powered by more than 330 new set launches, highlighted by an official FIFA World Cup trophy replica, Formula 1 racing sets, interactive Pokémon "smart" bricks, and collections based on Netflix's K-Pop Demon Hunters.

High-end collectible sets aimed at teens and adults ("kidults") continue to attract new buyers, helping Lego gain significant market share over competitors like Mattel and Hasbro.

While rising oil prices have increased the raw cost of plastics, Lego offset the impact by expanding its use of renewable and non-fossil-fuel materials alongside ongoing construction of a new U.S. factory in Virginia scheduled to open by mid-2027.

"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.