Which Brands Have the Most Opportunity Around the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

As the weather continues to warm up, so does the excitement surrounding the upcoming FIFA World Cup. And while the tournament will be hosted by three nations -- Canada, the U.S., and Mexico -- the United States will be the majority player in the mix, hosting 78 matches to the 13 each afforded to the other two hosting countries. The U.S. last hosted the World Cup in 1994, and as such, buzz around the tournament stateside continues to grow (particularly as soccer recently edged out baseball as the No. 3 favorite sport among Americans).

As a result, brands are scrambling to produce advertising and marketing campaigns tied to the event. The list is lengthy, with big players including Adidas (with "Backyard Legends" featuring Timothée Chalamet, Lionel Messi, Bad Bunny, David Beckham, and three current soccer stars), Lay's ("No Lay's, No Game"), Budweiser ("Let it Pour"), Powerade ("Power Your Fate"), Pepsi ("Home of Banter"), Coca-Cola ("Uncanned Emotions"), Duracell ("Reboot ft. Messi"), and Stella Artois ("Celebration ft. David Beckham"), taking part, among others.

Heineken is also joining in the fun, with its already-launched "Fans Have More Friends" platform also embracing the World Cup.

“Soccer is a massive passion point for consumers, … and we know it’s only going to increase in popularity,” Allison Payne, Heineken USA’s CMO, told Modern Retail.

“[This] is a huge beer-drinking occasion, because fans get together to watch their favorite team live. We know that it’s going to be a really big beer-drinking occasion for Heineken, as well," Payne added.

Heineken Among Those Moving Beyond 'Pure Product-Feature Messaging' as Authenticity Remains an Ad Must for Brands

Modern Retail's Julia Waldow focused on Heineken's approach to the World Cup ad blitz, noting that the beer company was deploying a multi-prong campaign including:

Giving a number of select bars airing soccer games a shipment of promo kits containing neon signs and pennants. The bars chosen are often known for being patronized by soccer fans as well as international visitors.

Going a step further, Heineken is organizing volunteer time-off (VTO) outings for those who have this job perk -- like park clean-ups and volunteer pushes at food banks -- with participants catching a game afterwards. This time off work may not pay immediate financial rewards, but many companies encourage it (and more VTO events are scheduled throughout the summer).

Waldow cited experts Adam Singer -- VP of marketing at AdQuick -- and Lucy Kriz, SVP of global brands for Criteo, on the importance of more non-traditional marketing when it comes to sporting events.

“[Campaigns which draw people together] will always outperform pure product-feature messaging during a cultural event like this. People aren’t thinking about themselves as consumers in these moments. They’re thinking about being part of something bigger. The brands that mirror that feeling win," Singer said.

“The brands that tend to resonate most are the ones that focus less on status and more on the role they can naturally play in the moment. If the message feels authentic and gives the brand a natural place in how people watch and celebrate, that is what is most likely to stick," Kriz stated.