Events such as the FIFA World Cup do not come around often, so when they do, they have a big impact.
One of the things they positively affect is growth in user acquisition. This applies to a large number of complementary industries such as merchandise, leisure and tourism, online betting platforms, and sports-oriented media channels like The Lead.
The Many Reasons Why the World Cup is a Massive Deal
One reason the World Cup would be a big deal is its global reach, which means the number of markets exposed to it is enormous. With so many cultures involved, there is an opportunity for almost every brand to either target existing customers with themed products and promotions or explore new markets.
Another thing that helps with major sporting events is that they often span several weeks. The World Cup of every sport (as well as events such as the Olympics) has a considerable amount of time between the opening ceremony and the final. Having this much time allows marketing campaigns to grow and evolve whilst the competition is taking place, and user acquisition has more time to occur.
A modern trend we are starting to see is a social media effect around major events. The amount of unique content delivered by fans, influencers and niche media channels helps create buzz around the events and increase the sense of immersion. Regardless of what team you support or player you idolize, there will always be content available for you.
Countless Industries to See Significant Cash Bump
Certain industries find themselves more affected than others, of course. It depends on how integrated they are with the sport itself or with the fans watching it. Betting companies see a large increase in new users around these events because they can tailor their betting bonuses and promotions to the specific matches and tournament outcomes.
The travel and hospitality sector will gain business if it is based in the host cities of a World Cup because people will obviously need to get there and also need somewhere to stay. The influx of tens of thousands of fans, all looking to eat out at restaurants and perhaps have a drink in local bars, will obviously do wonders for that city’s food and beverage sector in the days around each match.
To some degree, both online retail sellers and physical shops at ground-level sales booths will see a spike in merchandise sales, including team flags, scarves, and replica shirts. As you can see, many businesses benefit when a major event such as the World Cup takes place, both online and in the host cities.
Marketing Remains Main Key to Unlock Top Success
In order to capitalize on the opportunities presented, you will likely see a number of marketing strategies employed. A common practice is for brands to partner with relevant sporting figures as “ambassadors,” which is usually little more than adding their faces to the packaging.
On that note, packaging is often redesigned, this time including perhaps the flags of the competing teams, for the World Cup, pictures of a football and a trophy. If they apply for the rights, they can sometimes include the official FIFA logo if they become “partners”. You will see brands of all types alter their promotional offers to complement the World Cup, either by a bar offering a discount on drinks during game time, by a fan wearing a team shirt, or by a gambling firm offering refunds on losing bets if a popular player scores.
Exactly how much of an effect the World Cup has will depend on what you are selling and, despite being global, also on where you are selling, because countries that have qualified for the World Cup are logically going to have more interest. How each brand chooses to tap into this spike in interest is up to them and will vary from one to another, but they will all be hoping to get a boost in business from the event and as large a piece of the pie as possible in acquiring new users.
The 2026 World Cup is set to begin on June 11— less than 30 days away.
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