What you will find in the article:

The 2026 FIFA World Cup and its marketing campaigns
Sponsored products and sporting legends in adverts
The history of sports sponsorship and creativity in advertising
Research into the effectiveness of adverts during the World Cup
Expectations for successful and unsuccessful brands in 2026

The 2026 World Cup is just round the corner, and TV screens, social media and shop shelves are rapidly filling up with sponsored products, a parade of sporting legends (no surprise there – Beckham is back) and plenty of events brimming with the spirit of football.

From beer to toys to finance, no category is left behind. Every brand wants to secure its place in the sun at one of the biggest sporting celebrations in global culture.

System 1, with its phased campaign roll-out , is tracking how they’re performing using the System1 – Test Your Adplatform , which measures every World Cup advert aired. Historically, sports sponsorship has not always translated into outstanding creativity. Research shows that most adverts score between 2 and 5.9 out of 5 stars, and often fail to hit the mark with the mass audience. Will 2026 be any different? Which brands will score with consumers and which will fail when it matters most?

Guaraná Antártida | Brazil, 3.6stars