A worker sews the national flag of Brazil at the factory of Qingdao Wonderful Flag Industry Co in Shandong province. CHINA DAILY

　　With around two months to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off, a flag manufacturer in Qingdao, Shandong province, is racing against time to meet a surge of global orders.

　　Inside the production workshops of Qingdao Wonderful Flag Industry Co, located in Duanbolan town of the coastal city's Jimo district, giant machines operate around the clock, printing vivid patterns onto rolls of fabric.

　　Automated cutters slice materials with precision, while rows of workers sitting at sewing machines efficiently attend to their tasks. Brightly colored flags in a variety of sizes roll off the assembly lines, destined to appear in stadiums across North America this summer.

　　From the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France to the upcoming 2026 edition hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the company has supplied products for eight consecutive tournaments, growing into one of northern China's largest "super factories" for flags.

　　"Right now is the busiest season of the year," said company chairperson Xiao Chang'ai. "Our daily fabric output has reached 12,000 meters. In addition to World Cup orders, we are producing regular orders tied to international competitions such as England's Premier League, Germany's Bundesliga and the National Basketball Association in the US."

　　Xiao said large-scale orders for the 2026 World Cup began arriving as early as last year, covering a full range of products, including hand flags, pennant string flags, cheer flags and stadium banners.

　　"The World Cup can bring orders exceeding 30 million flags," she said. "With an annual capacity of 10 million meters of fabric, we are well-prepared for the explosive demand."