Brands that are not directly involved in the sport business also benefit from the huge event visibility. On one hand, companies like Coca-Cola and Visa, historical FIFA’s partner, invest hundreds of millions of dollars in campaigns that are more than the mere matches’ sponsorship and represent a more traditional concept of visibility.On the other hand, brands such as Lenovo, which is the first “Official Technology Partner of the FIFA World Cup”, take advantage of the event by strengthening its position on social media, by not only sponsoring the tournament, but also by supporting it with AI technology.China keeps representing one of the markets with the highest level of digital engagement during big international sport events, thanks to the huge diffusion of social platforms and of their integrated e-commerce. The social media RedNote (Xiaohongshu) has acquired the broadcasting rights for the 2026 World Cup and users will be able to use the platform to watch all the matches for free. To celebrate the event, the app has customized its icon and created a special section in the social media dedicated to tournament, where enthusiasts can follow their favourite football team, enjoy exclusive contents and interact with creators.
Football becomes in this way the starting point of a wider narration, able to combine sport, lifestyle and entertainment. For companies, the success will not depend only on the visibility gained during the tournament, but also on the skill of building memorable experiences and authentic conversations with its audience.
2026 World Cup position itself not only as one of the most anticipated sporting events of the decade, but also as a global venue for communication and marketing, meant to define the way brands communicate with consumers who are more connected and in search of engaging experiences.
