FIFA World Cup 2026: How Brands Leverage a Nation’s Attention to Stand Out
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In this Insight:
The men’s Football World Cup is more than just a tournament — it’s the most-watched sporting event in the world, ahead of the Summer Olympics and the Tour de France. It’s a moment when emotions are shared across borders, and when brands have the chance to reach billions of people in an instant.
In 2022, according to FIFA, more than 5 billion people around the globe engaged with the competition through television, social media, and digital platforms (source: FIFA.com). In France, 81% of people said they felt involved in the event, and the France–Argentina final reached a record audience of over 24 million viewers on TF1 — nearly nine out of ten French people (source: Toluna Harris Report – Barometer of French Perception of Major Sporting Events).
For brands, the World Cup is a global stage of shared emotion. It’s a unique playground to drive visibility, engagement, and brand preference, with several strategic angles to explore. As the 2026 World Cup approaches, SPORTFIVE decodes some of these key approaches.
Sources: FIFA.com, Toluna Harris Report – Barometer of French perceptions of major sporting events
Players: The First Line of Brand Influence
Football players embody the power of sports storytelling like no one else. Their fame transcends borders, and their influence on social media often exceeds that of the brands themselves. During the 2022 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi generated more than 1.2 billion interactions on posts related to the tournament. Messi’s Instagram post celebrating Argentina’s victory became the most-liked post in history, with over 75 million likes.
Source: Nielsen Sports
Some brands have skillfully leveraged this star power. In 2014, Nike showcased it with its campaign “The Last Game” — an animated short featuring Ronaldo, Neymar, Ribéry, and Rooney as heroes in a YouTube and social media film. The result: over 100 million views and greater media exposure than Adidas, despite the latter being the official tournament sponsor.
More recently, Calvin Klein applied the same logic during the 2022 World Cup with “Calvins or Nothing.” Kai Havertz, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold embodied elegance and confidence in the pre-tournament campaign, which resonated strongly across the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands.
The presence of athletes remains a powerful lever for authenticity and affinity. Even without official rights, a brand can join the global conversation through its ambassadors.
Source : Nike
National Pride: Playing on Collective Emotion
During a World Cup, national pride becomes an amplifier of emotions. In 2022, 65% of French people said they enjoyed the competition, and online conversations about Les Bleus skyrocketed, with over 40 million mentions on social media.
These events offer a unique opportunity for brands partnering with national federations to tap into the collective excitement. Volkswagen, supported by its agency in activating its partnership with the French Football Federation (FFF), has made this a cornerstone of its communication strategy. In 2018, the day after France’s victory, the brand symbolically renamed the Place de l’Étoile as “Place des 2 Étoiles.” More broadly, Volkswagen regularly draws on this sense of national pride in its messaging, positioning itself as “the most French of German carmakers.”
This approach resurfaced during Euro 2024 with the campaign La Franz Touch! — a playful activation that humorously celebrated French pride while giving a clever nod to the host country, Germany, Volkswagen’s homeland.
National pride is undeniably a universal driver of emotional connection. By positioning itself as an emotional rather than institutional partner, a brand can spark a deeper sense of belonging than through a simple logo placement — and remain associated for years with a memorable sporting triumph.
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Celebrating Heroes to Shine
Clubs also know how to capitalise on their players’ international success. During the 2022 World Cup, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and Bayern Munich multiplied their posts celebrating selected players — from motivational videos to congratulatory visuals and behind-the-scenes content. As the 2026 World Cup approaches, with qualification matches already drawing huge attention, clubs continue this approach by highlighting their international stars.
Driven by the performances of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, and Achraf Hakimi, PSG’s online community exceeded 150 million fans at the start of 2022 and grew by more than 1.8 million Instagram followers over the year. These posts strengthened fan engagement while showcasing club sponsors such as Qatar Airways and Nike, featured in the content.
By amplifying the individual success of their players, clubs — and the brands associated with them — extend their global visibility and deepen emotional bonds with fans.
Ambush Marketing: Creating Buzz Without Official Sponsorship
Not every brand can afford to invest millions to become an official FIFA partner. Yet, with creativity and perfect timing, some manage to “steal the spotlight” without sponsorship rights.
During the 2022 World Cup, M&M’s launched a limited “Bleu Blanc Rouge” (Blue, White, Red) edition in France, generating a surge in spontaneous brand awareness during the competition.
The French brand Fermiers de Loué also made a splash with its humorous commercial featuring “Didier des Champs,” a clever play on the name of France’s national coach.
Ambush marketing works when it relies on agility, cultural insight, and timing. A well-executed idea can deliver a higher ROI than some official sponsorship campaigns.
The World Cup: A Brand Power Accelerator
Far beyond a sporting competition, the World Cup is a global emotional media platforma moment where passion, performance, and creativity converge. Whether as official sponsors, club partners, or player sponsors, brands each have a role to play. Beyond budget, it’s emotion and relevance that make the difference: a well-crafted, authentic idea can sometimes generate more impact than a multi-million-dollar deal.
In 2026, the first edition featuring 48 teams and 16 host cities across North America will represent a colossal opportunity for brands, with more than 6 billion interactions expected (source: FIFA) and record-breaking audiences to anticipate.
Going Further
In such a complex and competitive ecosystem, knowing where and how to speak remains a true challenge.
That’s where SPORTFIVE steps in — guiding brands in defining and activating their strategies around sport to maximise the impact of every investment and every message.
Take, for example, Volkswagen’s partnership with the FFF, managed by SPORTFIVE, and its campaign “The Art of Not Choosing”. The brand tapped into collective emotion while reaffirming its responsible positioning.
In a world where everything happens in seconds, being well-advised makes all the difference. SPORTFIVE helps brands tell stories that resonate — stories that engage and leave a lasting mark.
