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- 16 global sponsor positions now filled, with two regional slots remaining
- Fifa expects sponsorship rights to generate US$1.8bn in 2026
- Expansion of tournament to 48 teams has created additional inventory
Soccer’s global governing body Fifa says it has sold out of global sponsorship packages for this summer’s men’s World Cup.
The inventory includes 16 positions across the organisation’s premier Fifa partner tier and the tournament-specific Fifa World Cup 2026 sponsor packages.
The only two remaining slots are in Fifa’s regional tournament supporter tier, which includes the likes of DoorDash and Valvoline.
Fifa is yet to announce the brand that has filled its final global sponsor position, but its confirmed top-tier partners are Adidas, Aramco, Coca-Cola, Hyundai-Kia, Lenovo, Qatar Airways and Visa.
Meanwhile, the World Cup sponsor tier consists of Hisense, Verizon, Lay’s, Bank of America, AB InBev, Unilever, McDonald’s and Mengniu.
As a result, Fifa expects that the 2026 World Cup will deliver the highest sponsorship revenue ever for a standalone sporting event. It added that the money generated by the tournament’s commercial partnership programme will surpass previous World Cup cycles ‘by a significant margin’.
Earlier this year, the governing body published a revised budget estimating US$1.8 billion from sponsorship rights this year, accounting for approximately 20 per cent of its forecasted US$8.9 billion in annual revenue.
Taking place from 11th June to 19th July across the US, Canada and Mexico, this summer’s World Cup is the first to be co-hosted by three countries and the first to feature 48 teams.
The expansion of the tournament means there will be 104 matches, up from 64 during the previous edition in Qatar, which has created additional inventory for Fifa to sell to both sponsors and broadcast partners.
This will also be the first edition of the tournament since Fifa introduced a new commercial partnership structure, seeking to provide more options and flexibility for sponsors. The shift also opened up the opportunity for brands to strike deals exclusively focused on the governing body’s women’s competitions and esports properties.
“This is already the most successful commercial programme in Fifa’s history, and we are still building momentum,” said Fifa chief business officer Romy Gai, speaking at The Business of Soccer Conference in Atlanta. “We have seen unprecedented interest from brands across the globe, and with only two regional opportunities remaining, we expect these final positions to be filled very soon.”
Sponsorship remains the most powerful commercial force in sport, yet as investments soar, the ROI gap widens. This April, SportsPro London will deliver frameworks for proving impact beyond logo placement. Learn more here.