Kickoff for the FIFA men’s World Cup is just days away, and promotions already are flooding the food and beverage landscape.
Held across 16 cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada, the games, which take place every four years, are accompanied by a tidal wave of product endorsements.
Last-mile delivery service DoorDash is also gearing its annual Summer of DashPash sales event toward the games, offering the chance to win tickets to games, watch parties and a trip for two to the final match.
The deals include major retailers, including Kroger, Meijer and Wawa, as well as from CPG companies like Pepsi, Kraft Heinz and Jolly Rancher.
Gearing up for the cup
Nearly a third (32%) of US residents plan to watch the games, which run between June 11 and July 19, and 89% of those plan to make food and beverage purchases, according to data analytics company Numerator.
Just over half (51%) plan to purchase snacks/chips/dips, followed by alcoholic beverages (38%), prepared foods/appetizers (35%), sweets/desserts (31%) and frozen foods/appetizers (25%).
World Cup shoppers are projected to drive $7.5 billion in consumer spending during the games, Numerator found.
“Most intended shoppers (78%) will spend less than $100 on their World Cup-related items, with an expected average spend of roughly $74 per shopper,” according to Numerator. “This is a bit higher than shoppers’ estimates for Super Bowl spending ($68) or Winter Olympics spending ($63).”
World Cup opportunities
The World Cup is a rare event, not only in its infrequency, but because each game is hosted in a different geographical location.
This presents unique challenges for food and beverage manufacturers attempting to reach consumers, according to Sean Turner, chief technology officer at Swiftly, a data company that helps CPG brands run targeted retail media campaigns in grocery and other physical channels.
For an event like the 100-plus-game World Cup tournament, providing personalized offers across retailer apps, websites and in-store media can be trickier than a typical holiday like Christmas or single sporting event like the Super Bowl, he said.
Major tent pole events give retailers a full year to review the previous year to determine winners and losers and plan accordingly, he said.
“What’s really difficult about events like the World Cup is it’s like every day is finals day,” he said. “You got this thing that runs for a whole month, you’ve got matches that run all times of the day and you’ve got different groups and different people that are going to care about different matches, and so it’s a lot more impromptu, and you need to be much more reactive, because what happens on day one should actually be affecting what are you doing days two, three and four.”
Coca-Cola, China and Van Halen
The Coca-Cola Company might be the earliest CPG manufacturer to get into the World Cup promotional business, launching its “Bubbling Up” campaign in January, including the first of three short films.
“Our creative vision for this campaign is to harness the incredible energy of the FIFA World Cup and the rollercoaster of emotions that only this tournament can deliver, transforming them into real, tangible connections,” said Arnab Roy, president, Coca‑Cola Global Category. “Through innovative experiences and compelling content, we’re bringing fans closer than ever before, whether they’re cheering in digital spaces, local bars, or at-home watch parties.”
Coca-Cola recently launched a Chinese-language version of the Van Halen classic rock anthem “Jump” as the official song for its promotion of the games in China.
“With a dream production team including Steve Vai and Travis Barker, the track shatters creative boundaries – rock solid at its core, yet richly layered with traditional Chinese instrumentation,” the global beverage giant said.
PepsiCo’s “No Lay’s, No Game”
PepsiCo is also on the World Cup marketing bandwagon with its “No Lay’s, No Game” campaign for its Lay’s potato chips, which is running across 90 markets.
The campaign is headlined by soccer stars such as Alexia Putellas, Lionel Messi, David Beckham and Thierry Henry. The ads also include actor Steve Carell, who along with the footballers, invites shoppers in a grocery store to watch the game together.
“Extending beyond the ad, Lay’s has launched an Epic Watch Party Channel on WhatsApp featuring live reactions, voice notes and behind-the-scenes moments from the five stars throughout the FIFA World Cup 2026, making it one of the brand’s largest social activations to date,” PepsiCo said.
Quaker Oats the official breakfast
Oatmeal and cereal company Quaker Oats secured its place in the World Cup advertising ecosystem as the official breakfast of FIFA World Cup 2026.
The PepsiCo-owned company also is sponsoring FIFA’s Player Escort Program, “which gives young fans the opportunity to step onto the pitch with their soccer heroes and become part of unforgettable FIFA World Cup 26 moments,” the company said.
The company also partnered with Common Goal, a coalition of youth soccer groups, to give youth players a chance to walk onto the pitch at 66 US matches.
“FIFA World Cup is one of the most universal moments in global sport, bringing people together in a way few things can, and that’s the same powerful connection we see around the breakfast table every day,” said Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing at Quaker Foods. “At a moment when millions of fans are inspired and energized, we wanted to be part of a bigger conversation – providing resources around daily nutrition for families and communities and inspiring the next generation with moments both on and off the field.”
Mars snacks for the win
Mars Snacking is also getting in on World Cup fever with the launch of six limited-edition snacks for fans to munch on during the games.
The brands include Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Pringles, Rice Krispies and Town House Crackers.
“The energy and passion of soccer fans is contagious, and we wanted to capture that excitement in a lineup of snacks that is just as dynamic,” said Maggie Hoy, omni center of excellence lead at Mars Snacking. “This lineup is a banner for US team spirit; from sweet to savory, we’ve created limited-edition flavors in partnership with the US Soccer Federation meant to be the perfect co-star for every goal, every save, and every moment of celebration this season.”
