Multicultural Marketing Scores Big In The 2026 FIFA World Cup Playbook

Forbes

6 days ago

We are officially one year away from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Historically, U.S. fan interest in soccer has increased significantly over the past few decades, and the interest of brands and marketers has followed suit. Given the evolving preferences and demographic profiles of sports audiences in the United States, it's clear that any successful soccer marketing strategy must prioritize multicultural audiences. Recent data from the Ipsos IGI Soccer Overview study (March 2025) underscores this point. The report reveals a notable surge in interest for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup across multiple segments: • 47% of U.S. Millennials, 28% of Gen X, and 24% of Gen Z say they plan to follow the 2026 FIFA World Cup—up from 41%, 24%, and 21%, respectively, who engaged with the previous edition. • When broken down by ethnicity, 44% of U.S. Hispanics, 38% of Black Americans, 26% of non-Hispanic whites , and 24% of AAPI consumers expressed intent to follow the 2026 tournament. This marks an increase from 39%, 32%, 23%, and 18%, respectively, who followed the 2022 World Cup.
These findings highlight the growing enthusiasm for soccer among a diverse array of U.S. audiences. Marketers who tailor their campaigns to engage these multicultural segments stand to gain the most as the sport's popularity continues to rise.
Next year's tournament is not like other sports properties—and it's not even like previous editions of the same tournament. This one is special, with potential implications that can help brands grow their business. Treating this event as any other sporting event in the U.S. may impact not only the efficiency of a marketer's investments but also the effectiveness of their efforts.
Ricardo Fort, founder of Sport by Fort, a global sports marketing consulting company, recently told me, 'There is something about the FIFA World Cup that transcends sports. Like the Super Bowl, it is a cultural event where non-soccer fans become part of the party.'
Aware of that fact, many marketers are already planning strategies and budgets for 2026. Any marketer interested in, or involved with, the FIFA World Cup should pay attention to the following summary:
The Basics:
• The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played between June 11 and July 19, with games co-hosted between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. This is the first-ever tri-nation hosting of the tournament. • Most of the games will take place in the U.S., in eleven different locations: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, San Francisco, and Seattle. Mexico will host games in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey, while the Canadian-hosted games will take place in Toronto and Vancouver. • In 2026, for the first time, there will be forty-eight national teams competing in the finals (vs. thirty-two in the most recent previous editions.) Notably, for the U.S. Hispanic and Asian American populations, this increase will directly lead to a rise in the number of countries from Latin America and Asia participating in the tournament.
There will be either 7 or 9 nations from Latin America (the exact number will be determined after a wild card series is played), compared to 6 in 2022. Additionally, there will be either 8 or 9 nations from Asia, compared to 6 in 2022. • With the expansion of teams playing the World Cup from thirty-two to forty-eight, there will also be a significant increase in the number of games played, from sixty-four in 2022 to one hundred and six in 2026, spread across thirty-nine days—ten extra days compared to the previous edition of the tournament. • While we still don't have the 2026 World Cup schedule (the qualifying tournaments are still being played across the world), FIFA has already shared that the first phase will be played between June 11 and June 27 (17 days) and be comprised of seventy-two games, with most days with four or five matches, and a few days having six different games!
These will be played across all four time zones: Eastern, Central (including all Mexico-hosted games), Mountain, and Pacific. The games will likely be played between early afternoon and early evening for the local market, creating the possibility of games being played from morning to night.
The Playbook:
1 – Repeating the Past Won't Be Enough:
Developing a soccer strategy for 2026 based on the same principles and strategies of the past editions is not enough. The U.S. has experienced significant growth in this sport, whether from its own league (MLS) or the increased popularity of international leagues. And there's also a new generation of fans—Hispanic and non-Hispanic, urban and suburban.
This is a unique opportunity to lead with ethnic insights, and to let your multicultural marketing experts (internally and externally) drive the strategic and creative development.
2 - Relevant Creative Matters:
There is growing evidence in marketing science and industry research that demonstrates the effectiveness of aligning creative content with the media environment.
Recent studies from Google, Nielsen, Kantar, IAB, and Meta converge on the idea that contextual relevance has a high probability of positively impacting ad attention, ad recall, brand favorability, audience engagement, positive brand associations, purchase intent, short-term sales, and long-term brand equity.
Moreover, it's important to fully understand the language dynamics when it comes to World Cup games broadcasting. According to Nielsen, 83% of Hispanic fans who primarily speak English watched games in Spanish. Furthermore, an impressive 65% of non-Hispanic fans prefer to watch games in Spanish, even if they don't speak the language.
3 - Creative Wear-Out is a Reality:
The World Cup is not a Super Bowl. This is not a one-day event where you have to excel with a great creative idea. If you purchase a World Cup media deal, either national or local, you need to develop a creative portfolio to fight wear-out.
Unfortunately, most brands overlook the fact that, historically, the average viewer will quickly become annoyed by seeing the same ad multiple times during a game broadcast. The World Cup ad wear-out will be exponentially amplified next year, given the longer duration of the tournament and the higher number of games per day.
This is a significant opportunity to differentiate your brand with authentic and truly creative messages – and further engage with multicultural audiences.
4 – Go Beyond Stereotypes:
Speak to both Hispanic and non-Hispanic fans; show how the World Cup is everyone's game, and when it comes to the U.S. Hispanic consumer, make sure to look beyond the expected stereotypes. I am sure we will see a share of ads featuring the long goooooool, bi-national preferences (U.S./Mexico), olas/waves, face painting, etc.
Move past generic "soccer" and "Hispanic heritage" tropes. Today's audiences—both Hispanic and non-Hispanic—are savvy, diverse, and crave genuine representation and storytelling. Highlight unique fan journeys, local heroes, and authentic cultural touchpoints.
5 - Is Every Brand Invited to the Party?
Every brand wants to be part of the party—but not all are official sponsors. This can be a challenge for non-sponsors, as it's hard to engage authentically without breaking FIFA rules.
If you're not an official sponsor, find ways to align with the World Cup spirit by highlighting local teams, partnering with influencers, or celebrating soccer culture without violating rights. Creativity within constraints often yields the most memorable campaigns.
6 – Develop a Plan Beyond Advertising:
Creating ads related to soccer is a great idea, but the World Cup offers an opportunity for more than that. Companies worldwide that understand this develop fully integrated marketing plans that encompass various business aspects, including packaging, distribution, PR, employee engagement, partnerships, and brand collaborations, among others.
7 – Start Early:
Don't wait for the opening game. Build excitement months beforehand through teasers, community events, and digital activations. And plan for the long run: keep the conversation alive after July 19 with post-tournament content, celebrations, and calls to action.
World Cup "fever" starts early. Group drawing will likely happen around the December 2025–February 2026 window, starting the frenzy around scheduling and potential matchups in the later phases of the tournament, and will include early predictions of future champions.
In the first half of 2026, we will have friendly games. Players fighting for a place on the roster list will work hard to demonstrate their value, making these games highly competitive. Around early Q2 2026, World Cup "fever" further increases, with the first national teams flying to their home base in North America, where they will play additional friendly matches and get ready for the tournament in June.
In other words, some brands will consider the World Cup a summer event, while others fully understand that the World Cup momentum starts in late 2025 and builds a crescendo through the first half of 2026. Business success in the World Cup may depend on this level of planning.
8 – Measure, Learn, and Adapt in Real Time:
Similarly to previous World Cup tournaments and the Olympic Games, there will be a significant number of stories, plots, and subplots daily.
With a record number of games and an unprecedented audience, use real-time analytics to monitor engagement and pivot messaging. Be ready to amplify what resonates—whether it's a viral moment, an underdog story, or a new hero—throughout the tournament.
9 – Ocassion-Based Marketing Matters:
Local kickoff times are likely early afternoon to evening, creating an almost all-day soccer marathon for TV viewers. Leverage the North American time zone spread and marathon game days. Host live events, watch parties, and real-time social content that follows the match calendar—from morning to night. Adapt content for local relevance (think: breakfast matches in LA, evening celebrations in New York).
Also, don't forget that the FIFA World Cup often coincides with graduations, summer holidays, family reunions, and the 4th of July holiday, which gives marketers an additional opportunity to connect their brands to these overlapping occasions for greater resonance.
10 - Foster Community, Not Just Consumption:
Soccer is a social experience. Create spaces—online and offline—where fans can gather, share, and celebrate. Support grassroots soccer, local viewing parties, or neighborhood tournaments.
Become part of the community, not just a brand talking to it. Furthermore, leverage local and personal occasions. Recognize that every city, neighborhood, and even every individual household becomes its own occasion.
11 – Post-World Cup Strategy:
Consider the legacy and what will happen after July 19, 2026. Is your brand's approach to soccer opportunistic or part of a larger, longer-term strategy?
There will be plenty of opportunities to continue partnering with soccer to create authentic connections with soccer fans in America, from amateur to grassroots to professional levels at clubs, as well as connecting with Latin American and European leagues and tournaments; the choices are numerous.
Moreover, additional opportunities at the national level such as the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup or the soccer tournament of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympic games are only months away. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a unique, potential-rich occasion that allows brands to connect with consumers that range from the hardcore to the casual fan, who will still experience the impact of the tournament in America. Moreover, it presents an opportunity to enhance a brand's connection with multicultural segments that disproportionately favor soccer as one of their favorite sports.