FIFA World Cup 2026: How top brands are using promotions and loyalty to win over fans

This summer, the world's most beloved tournament arrives in an entirely new format across three nations. For the first time in its history, the FIFA World Cup expands to 48 teams and is jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. 

A FIFA and WTO study projects 6.5 million in-person attendees across the host countries, with a global television audience expected to reach 1.5 billion viewers. The economic ripple effects are even more striking: the tournament is projected to help drive up to $40.9 billion in GDP.

With that kind of reach and economic momentum, brands across every category are seizing the moment with promotions, loyalty rewards, and fan experiences built for the occasion.

Promotions tied to major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup tap into what Talon.One's report, Creative Currencies in Promotions, identifies as cultural currency: value rooted in cultural moments, trends, and shared experiences.

Rather than competing on price, cultural currency transforms a promotion into a moment of participation, making an everyday purchase feel like part of something much bigger. This is what sets them apart from traditional promotions: a blanket discount or BOGO offer treats every customer the same, while a well-crafted World Cup activation speaks to something personal: identity, passion, and the desire to be part of a shared moment.

The strongest World Cup activations go further still, layering in aspirational currency, offering access to experiences that money alone cannot reliably buy, and game currency, using scarcity, limited drops, and prize draws to drive excitement and urgency. 

Across categories, from automotive to apparel to delivery apps, brands are rolling out consumer promotions, loyalty activations, and fan experiences designed to meet football supporters where they are: at home watching the match, browsing their phones, or dreaming about being there in person. Here is how some of the biggest names are playing it.

AdiClub x FIFA Rewards

By linking their AdiClub and FIFA Rewards accounts, members unlock bonus points, access to limited-edition merchandise, and entries into prize draws for Final tickets. FIFA Rewards also launched a limited drop of FIFA World Cup mini ball sets, priced at 10,000 points with only 10 sets available on a first-come, first-served basis, a scarcity-led moment that speaks to the growing range of physical rewards members can redeem through the program. 

American Airlines

American Airlines has built one of the most distinctive fan experiences of the tournament for its AAdvantage members. Rather than offering a seat in a stadium, the airline is hosting a Final watch event at Edge NYC in Hudson Yards, the highest outdoor sky deck and all-weather immersive indoor experience in the Western Hemisphere, 100 stories above New York City. Winners will watch the Final in a high-energy live setting that turns loyalty membership into something unforgettable.

Hyundai

Under its "Next Starts Now" promotion, Hyundai is giving test-drive participants the chance to win a four-day trip to one of the host countries to attend group stage matches. The campaign neatly bridges the brand's innovation message with the tournament's forward-looking energy, rewarding genuine customer engagement rather than passive awareness.

Marriott Bonvoy and Visa

The partnership between Marriott Bonvoy and Visa offers eligible members sweepstakes entries to win quarter-final tickets in Miami, or the chance to spend the night before the Final in a luxury suite at the New York New Jersey Stadium. This is loyalty at its most aspirational: the kind of experience money alone can’t easily buy, reserved for members who are already engaged with both brands.

Nuuly

The clothing rental platform is running a "Summer of Soccer" collection, giving subscribers access to team colors, jerseys, and sporty staples for the duration of the tournament. For fans who want to show up for the occasion without a long-term wardrobe commitment, it is a timely and practical offer that slots naturally into how a new generation approaches fashion.

1&1

In Germany, telecoms provider 1&1 is running limited-time offers on mobile phones and tablets bundled with a World Cup jersey. It is a straightforward but effective mechanic: a high-consideration purchase paired with a piece of tournament merchandise that gives customers a tangible reward with strong emotional resonance.

Coca-Cola

The "Uncanned Emotions" campaign hides exclusive FIFA stickers beneath bottle labels, giving fans a reason to collect, share, and complete the official tournament sticker album. As a loyalty mechanic, it is hard to beat: by spreading the collection across the length of the tournament, it gives consumers a reason to keep coming back to the same brand week after week.

DoorDash, Deliveroo, and Wolt

As an Official Tournament Supporter, DoorDash has united its global family of brands, Deliveroo and Wolt, under a single international campaign for the first time. Called "Deliver Us to Futbol," the activation celebrates the match-day rituals of fans everywhere, backing that storytelling with exclusive restaurant deals and delivery promotions throughout the tournament window. Tapping the deep intersection between watching football and ordering food at home, the campaign turns match-day logistics into loyalty-building moments.

Wahaca

Not every great football promotion is tied to a global tournament. When Arsenal ended a 22-year wait to win the Premier League title in May 2026, Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca Islington offered 22% off food to any table with at least one guest whose first name matches an Arsenal starting XI player, covering names like Bukayo, Declan, Viktor, and Gabriel. 

The offer ran until June 1, the day after Arsenal's trophy parade through Islington, and was created by Wahaca's Head of Marketing, a lifelong Arsenal fan himself. A small promotion, but a sharp one: rooted in community, timed to perfection, and a clear example of cultural currency doing exactly what it should. 

What stands out across these activations is the intentionality. The most effective campaigns go beyond stamping a tournament logo onto an existing offer - they build experiences and incentives that make the World Cup feel like a natural extension of the customer relationship. The size of the prizes, though often impressive, is almost beside the point.

The campaigns above show what is possible when brands treat a cultural moment as a genuine loyalty opportunity.