10 World Cup marketing ideas to help you kick off your campaigns

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is already shaping up to be one of the most talked-about sports tournaments since the last one in Qatar 2022, and once again, not all of that attention is positive.

Sky-high ticket prices, questions around accessibility, and growing frustration from fans in host cities have all added a layer of tension around the event. Even before a ball is kicked, there’s already a sense that this World Cup feels different. And for marketers, that creates an interesting dynamic.

On the one hand, you’ve got one of the biggest global sporting events in the calendar, with unmatched reach and attention. On the other hand, you’ve got a more divided audience, where enthusiasm, access, and sentiment won’t look the same everywhere.

In this guide, we’ve rounded up the types of campaign moments you can build around events like the FIFA World Cup, and how to turn that shared attention into something more useful for your marketing.

When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The World Cup kicks off on June 11 2026, and runs through to July, with the final taking place on July 19 2026. So, that’s just over a month of near-constant global attention.

It’s also the first tournament to be hosted across three countries, which are the United States, Canada, and Mexico. That means multiple time zones, varied audience behavior, and match times that won’t look the same for everyone on your list.

What the stats say ahead of the FIFA World Cup

The World Cup is one of the biggest cultural moments with worldwide attention that happens every four years, and for marketers, it’s a great opportunity to get involved in, no matter what industry you’re in.

The 2026 tournament is expected to break global viewership records. But with many matches kicking off late in the evenings and in the early hours due to time zone differences, a huge chunk of fans will be watching from home rather than heading out. 

Consumer data from the Paris 2024 Olympics already points to a growing preference for at-home viewing, with electrical goods and appliance revenue rising 44%, which outpaced sports equipment, so expect that same energy this summer.

But sales uplift goes beyond screens and sofas. During the Women’s EURO 2025, categories like children’s and fashion and footwear outperformed expectations too, with revenue rising 54% and 26% respectively, proof that fans buy into the whole experience.

The opportunity here is broad. Wherever your audience is, they’re engaged, and they’re spending.

Why the FIFA World Cup still matters for marketers

The World Cup is one of those rare moments where audiences behave differently.

People aren’t half-watching or casually scrolling in the background. They’re fully in it. Watching live, reacting instantly, and talking about what’s happening as it unfolds.

For marketers, that creates a good opportunity to connect. With matches taking place during the summer holiday season,  people will be travelling, switching off, watching in groups, and engaging in different ways than they would during a typical working week.

Now, of course, this is an international footballing (soccer) event. But the marketing opportunity isn’t really about the football itself. It’s more about timing, context, and knowing when your audience is actually paying attention.

The thing is, brands that do this well aren’t trying to dominate the conversation. They’re simply showing up in the right moments, in a way that feels natural to what’s already happening.

10 World Cup marketing ideas

You might be wondering where your brand fits into all of this, especially if you’re not in sport, retail, or hospitality. The thing is, many brands have a reason to show up; it just takes a bit of creative thinking to find it.

That said, big global tournaments like this come with their own sensitivities too because not every audience will feel the same level of excitement, and not every brand should suddenly pivot to full football mode. The key is finding a genuine reason to join the moment, one that feels natural for your brand and relevant to your audience.

With that in mind, here are ten World Cup marketing ideas you can use and adapt.

1. Cross-channel moments that feel connected

Cross-channel marketing is an important strategy to use all year-round. But during high-energy events like the World Cup, this strategy becomes more important.

People are constantly switching between devices and channels, taking action like checking their inbox before kick-off, scrolling social during the match, and opening an SMS once the final whistle blows. That’s why consistency across channels matters in moments like this. 

An example of this is a match-day campaign that follows the same thread across email, SMS, and mobile.

1. You might start with an email ahead of kickoff, highlighting a time-sensitive offer or piece of content tied to the match
2. As kickoff approaches, an SMS reminder adds urgency or reinforces the message
3. Then, during or after the match, a follow-up message reflects the outcome or keeps momentum going with a relevant next step

The same applies to mobile experiences. During moments where attention is high, most audience engagement will happen on their phone, which means:

• An email needs to be easy to act on quickly
• Landing pages need to load fast
• Mobile-first channels like SMS and WhatsApp are worth leaning into
• Any next step should feel effortless

2. Not every World Cup campaign needs to be about selling

Some of the most effective marketing content comes from responding to what people are already engaging with in real time.

Adidas did this well on Instagram by leaning into the lighter side of football fandom. They shared multiple images of dogs dressed in different national football shirts, which ties back to the teams competing in the tournament.

It works because not only is it timely and simple, but it doesn’t push a product or a hard message. Instead, it taps into something people are already doing during events like this, following teams, backing countries, and sharing the fun side of it with others.

It’s also clever marketing from Adidas because the campaign involves dogs. Now, not everyone is a dog person (we don’t make the rules), but it’s hard to scroll past a Shiba Inu in a Japan shirt without at least cracking a smile. 

3. How B2B marketers can show up during the World Cup

If you’re a B2B marketer, the World Cup still offers opportunities to show up in a relevant way without needing to be overly promotional.

Lenovo does this well on its website, using a football scenario as the backdrop, but shifting the focus back to business. The message is aimed at decision makers, encouraging them to explore Lenovo’s products, services, and solutions.

What makes this work is how the visual is eye-catching and relevant, but the message doesn’t lose sight of the audience it’s speaking to.

That said, B2B marketers don’t need to limit their World Cup marketing to their website or core campaign pages. There’s value in taking the same idea and extending it into other channels where attention is already happening.

For example, this same creative approach could be adapted for things like social ads, email campaigns, or even LinkedIn content, using the World Cup as a visual hook while tailoring the message for each channel. 

4. How search trends can shape your World Cup campaigns

Understanding what people are searching for can be a helpful starting point when creating your World Cup campaigns. Search data gives you a real-time view of people’s intent, like:

• What they care about
• What they’re planning for
• How their behavior is shifting as the tournament gets closer

A good example of this comes from Semrush. In the lead-up to the World Cup, they took their search trend data and turned it into a blog-style report, highlighting what people were actively searching for, like travel queries, interest in host locations, and event-related planning. 

They then used those findings across their social channels to spark conversation and share timely, relevant content with their audience.

If you know what people are starting to look for, whether that’s travel plans, viewing options, or even general curiosity around teams and locations, you can start shaping your messaging or content earlier, rather than reacting once the conversation is already in full flow.

5. Using the World Cup for purpose-led campaigns

For not-for-profits and charities, the World Cup can be a great way to reach people in a more relatable, human way, especially when you connect it to something people are already talking about.

Cancer Research UK’s Football Shirt Friday campaign is a good example of this. Their social content uses a light, familiar tone to draw people in, with messaging like:

“Not another WhatsApp group… Well, maybe just one more for Football Shirt Friday.” 

From there, it quickly moves into highlighting a clear purpose, which is about raising awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer and encouraging people to take part by wearing a football shirt and sharing key information.

What makes this effective is how accessible it feels. It doesn’t rely on formal messaging. It uses football and group chats to make the campaign feel easy to join and share.

So, for charities and not-for-profits, you don’t need to reinvent your messaging for events like the World Cup. Instead, look for simple cultural hooks that lower the barrier to engagement, then clearly connect them back to your purpose.

6. Know when to show up (and when not to)

Not every audience will want to see or engage with World Cup content, and that’s fine. The key is understanding where it adds value, and where it doesn’t.

Research from Marketing Week found that around half of UK adults respect brands speaking out about issues surrounding the World Cup. And research into brand loyalty shows that many consumers now expect brands to stand for something and reflect their values, not just their products.

That said, not every audience is looking for the same thing. Some are engaged in the tournament itself, following matches closely, and are open to brands reflecting that energy. Others are more interested in travel, shopping, or simply tuning out of the noise altogether during a busy seasonal period.

This is where your own customer insight becomes important for your campaigns. Things like engagement data, purchase behavior, and channel preferences will give you a much clearer picture of what people actually want to hear from you, and when.

7. Turn the unexpected into marketing opportunities

One of the most exciting things about the World Cup is its unpredictability. 

Using the moments nobody expects is a fun way to engage with your customers when the world goes football mad. 

We’ve seen this work well before. During the 2018 World Cup, Iceland Foods leaned into one of the biggest early surprises of the tournament when Iceland drew with Argentina in their opening match. 

Instead of ignoring it, they responded quickly and tied their messaging into the moment, joining the conversation while it was happening rather than trying to force attention.

It’s a good reminder that during events like this, you don’t always need to plan every detail. Sometimes the strongest campaigns come from how quickly and naturally you respond when the moment lands.

8. Using social giveaways to join the football conversation

One of the easiest ways to show up during the World Cup is through things like giveaways and competitions. They don’t need to be complex, and they don’t need to feel overly polished to work either.

A good example of this comes from Currys. Ahead of the tournament, they used their social channels to run a World Cup-themed giveaway, offering prizes like smart TVs, soundbars, and streaming sticks, and encouraging people to share which team they were backing before the action began.

What makes this work is timing and relevance. It builds anticipation early when people are already starting to think about how they’ll watch, who they’ll support, and what they’ll need ready for kickoff.

It’s also a format that works well across industries, and you don’t need to be a sports brand to take part. You just need a clear hook that connects what you offer to what people are already getting ready for as the tournament approaches.

9. Remember to stay onside with FIFA’s rules

Before you get too deep into World Cup campaign ideas, it’s worth knowing how FIFA protects its official branding during the tournament. There are restrictions around using “official marks”, including things like the:

• Tournament emblem
• Trophy
• Mascot

Certain “word marks” (i.e., terms) linked to the event are also protected and can’t be used in promotional activity, such as ‘FIFA World Cup’.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t reference the World Cup at all. You can, but it just means you need to be thoughtful about how you position it. So, the safest approach is to focus on the broader sporting moment rather than official terminology. Think along the lines of:

• Football language
• Match-day themes
• Fan culture

10. How brands can use interactive and user-generated content

One of the more engaging ways to tap into the World Cup is by borrowing from the structure of the tournament itself. Things like knockout stages and “who wins” style formats are the type of content that encourages participation rather than passive scrolling.

Dunkin’ Donuts did this well by creating a tournament-style format featuring their coffee products, set up like a mini tournament. Items went head-to-head through quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final, with audiences encouraged to engage and follow along as the “winner” was crowned.

For marketers, creating this sense of engagement can be as straightforward as taking a format people already know from the World Cup and applying it to your own world, whether that’s products, services, or even customer stories.

Your World Cup email playbook

So you’ve got the inspiration. Now let’s look at making it land. Email is one of the most powerful tools you have during events like this, so here’s what you can focus on.

World Cup email subject lines and examples:

It’s easy to default to generic phrases or overuse football references. The better approach is to think about what you’re trying to trigger.  So, before jumping into some examples, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Keep it timely. Tie your message to real fixtures, stages, or countdown moments
• Don’t force football language if it doesn’t fit your brand
• Be careful with protected terms and official wording from FIFA
• Make sure the subject line reflects what’s actually inside the email
• Test variations. Tournament moments move fast, and audience response can shift just as quickly

Below are subject line examples you can adapt depending on your campaign goal.

Urgency-led subject lines

These work well around match days, knockout stages, or limited-time offers:

• Last chance before kick-off
• 24 hours to score your offer
• Final whistle on this deal
• Don’t miss out before the semi-finals
• Your match-day offer ends tonight

Personalization-led subject lines

These are useful if you know the location, preferences, or purchase history

• Ready for match day, {First name}?
• Supporting {Team}? We’ve got something for you
• Your World Cup watch list, {First name}
• {City}, are you ready?
• Picks based on what you love

Emoji-led subject lines

While emojis can add energy and fun, they should be used in small amounts:

• It’s match day ⚽
• Big game energy 🔥
• Your team needs you 👕
• The countdown is on ⏳
• Ready for kick-off? 🎉

Mixed approach subject lines

These combine urgency, personalization, and tone:

• {First name}, your match-day offer ends at 8pm ⚽
• Supporting {Team}? Don’t miss this
• Semi-finals tonight. Your deal won’t wait ⏳
• Big game. Bigger savings 🔥
• Your World Cup picks are live

How to write your World Cup email copy

When it comes to World Cup campaigns, your email copy needs to balance energy and clarity. You want to tap into the excitement of the tournament, without losing sight of your offer or overwhelming readers with your messaging.

Setting the right tone

Energetic:

Reflect the momentum of the tournament. Short sentences. Clear hooks. Tie your message to a specific stage, match, or countdown moment.

Relevant:

Make the connection between the World Cup and your product or service obvious. Don’t force football language if it doesn’t naturally fit.

Inclusive:

Not everyone is a superfan. Keep the messaging broad enough that casual viewers still feel included.

Here are examples of email copy you can adapt:

Match-day themed:

“The knockout stages are here. Whether you’re hosting friends or watching from the sofa, we’ve got everything you need for match day.”

Countdown-led:

“The final is just days away. Get ready before kick-off.”

Offer-led:

“Big games deserve big upgrades. Save on everything you need before the next whistle blows.”

B2B angle:

“While teams compete for the trophy, make sure your business stays ahead of the competition. Explore solutions built for peak performance.”

Community-led:

“Who are you backing in this tournament? Join the conversation on our social channels”.

Writing CTAs that drive clicks

Your call to action should feel like a natural extension of your campaign, so keep them:

• Action-focused: “Shop match-day essentials,” “Upgrade before kick-off,” “Explore the collection”
• Timely: “Get it before the semi-finals,” or “Secure yours before Sunday”
• Clear: Avoid vague phrases. Tell people exactly what happens next
• Visible: Make sure your primary CTA stands out and is easy to tap on mobile

World Cup email design tips

Good design helps your email capture attention and make it easy for your audience to act. So, during a high-energy event like the World Cup, your visuals should feel exciting.

Here are some practical ways to approach it:

Choose visuals that feel real for your audience

It’s easy to default to visuals like football pitches, giant footballs, and bold green backgrounds, but that won’t work for every brand.

Instead, try:

• Using subtle nods like scorelines, countdown timers, or bracket graphics
• Layering in team colors carefully so they still align with your brand palette
• Focusing on product-in-use shots that feel connected to match day, whether that’s hosting, travelling, or working

Design mobile-first

Big sporting events usually mean people are watching matches and scrolling at the same time. For instance, if someone opens your email during halftime, they should be able to understand the message in seconds.

Make it easy to engage subscribers by:

• Using single-column layouts
• Keeping copy tight and scannable
• Making buttons large enough to tap easily
• Avoiding heavy image files that slow load time

Use familiar tournament formats

The tournament format itself, like the Dunkin’ Donuts example above, already gives you ready-made design ideas.

You can experiment with things like:

• Bracket-style layouts to showcase products or services
• Countdown banners to kick-off times
• “Head-to-head” blocks comparing options
• Score-style graphics to highlight stats or benefits

Let imagery support the message

Football visuals should support your offer. So, if you’re referencing a match or tournament stage, make sure the copy clearly connects it back to your product or campaign. You want to avoid decorative imagery that doesn’t reinforce your call to action.

Accessible email design checklist

The World Cup may be fast-paced, but your emails should always be easy to navigate, readable, and accessible for everyone.

Here’s a few things to remember:

• Add alt text to every image so screen readers can describe your visuals.
• Use high-contrast text to keep it readable on all devices.
• Write descriptive link text rather than “click here.”
• Follow a clear heading structure to support accessibility.
• Don’t rely on colour alone to communicate meaning, especially in countdowns or urgency messaging.

Building your World Cup marketing campaign

A week-by-week timeline can make it easier to plan your campaigns and promotions without scrambling once the tournament kicks off.

Here’s how you might structure it:

6-8 weeks before kickoff

This is your thinking time. Decide how big a role the World Cup will play in your calendar, which audiences or markets matter most, and what angles might work for your brand. No pressure to have all the answers yet, but it’s a start in getting the foundations in place.

4-6 weeks before

Lock in your creative direction, confirm your assets, and define your audience segments. If personalization is part of your plan, now’s the time to make sure your data is in good shape.

3-4 weeks before

Create your email templates, SMS copy, landing pages, and any dynamic content. Map out match timings if they affect your send schedule, and start testing your segmentation.

2 weeks before

Start warming your audience up with things like teaser emails, early social content, or a few hints of what’s coming that’s just enough to spark curiosity without giving the game away.

Kickoff week

Launch your core campaign, tie your messaging to the opening matches, and bring your main campaign hook to life. 

Group stage weeks

Stay responsive, but don’t overdo it because not every football match needs an email. Match-day reminders and short-term offers work well here, so just focus on the moments that genuinely matter to your audience. 

Knockout stages

At this stage of the tournament, the stakes are higher and so is the attention. Lean into the tension and excitement with time-sensitive campaigns and urgent messaging.

Final week

Close the campaign strong with either one last push on an offer, a celebratory send (or commisterating), or a wrap-up that ties your campaign together.

Key takeaways

The World Cup is a huge global event, and a great opportunity to jump on the hype and create fun content for your own fans.

There’s plenty of space to get in on the colorful energy, the unpredictability, and the shared conversations happening around it, without losing sight of your brand or your audience. The most effective campaigns will be the ones that stay flexible and relevant, rather than trying to force it.

So test ideas, respond to what’s happening, and have a bit of fun with it.