From World Cup dreams to market reality: the importance of managing expectations

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, England fans are daring to dream again, hopeful that, for the first time in 60 years, football might be ‘coming home’ this summer. It’s easy to get swept up in World Cup fever and become carried away about your team’s chances, but more seasoned supporters know that this usually only results in a greater sense of disappointment.

The same balance often plays out in financial markets; as a Financial PR adviser, one of our key responsibilities is to shape and manage expectations. This is achieved by building a credible, compelling story that evolves over time and builds organic excitement in the market, augmented through third-party endorsement from earned media.

The danger of overpromising

England, off the back of a run to the semi-finals in Russia in 2018 and the quarter-finals in Qatar in 2022, and with a world-class manager in Thomas Tuchel at the helm, will be feeling good about their chances of going one step further this time around. Yet realists know that such a recipe is no guarantee of success – form, injuries, luck and rival performance all shape your chances, despite falling beyond your control.

Markets behave similarly – macroeconomic factors, government policy, regulation, industry cycles and wider investor sentiment can, and do, impact listed companies at unexpected times. Herein lies the importance of developing an enticing narrative that highlights the strong fundamentals of a company, without overcommitting to certain timelines or outcomes which can often rely on aspects that are outside of your control.

Overpromising and underdelivering only causes grievances. Maintaining a robust narrative and presence, on the other hand, builds credibility.

The importance of nuance

We’ve all been guilty of delusion when World Cup fever takes over, but supporting England sometimes requires a more nuanced outlook in order to avoid disappointment, or even despair. Likewise, effective investor relations thrives on discipline and nuance, not aimless hype.

Honesty and realism in market communications not only signifies good governance, but is valued by investors, building trust and a resilient reputation. That is not to say that a company should play down its strengths, quite the opposite, but endless hype without follow through can be damaging. Managing investor expectations and allowing the necessary room to manoeuvre if the uncontrollable takes effect is a crucial consideration.

Helping stakeholders understand decision-making processes and building trust between parties is also key to achieving shared success. The most powerful stories aren’t the ones that promise everything at once, they’re the ones that bring people along, step by step, and make each outcome feel earned. As we often hear in post-match interviews: take it game by game, celebrate progress from the group stages, then focus on each knock-out match as it comes.

World Cup predictions

The BlytheRay team have made some predictions ahead of the upcoming World Cup tournament! Whose football knowledge will prove to be best come 19 July? See our picks below.