The 2026 World Cup is still two years away but FIFA is striving to build up a sponsor portfolio of big name brands ahead of the world’s biggest sporting event.
In its latest commercial push, the company has partnered with Frito-Lays, a renewal of the duo’s collaboration during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Lay’s is one of America’s biggest food producers, owned by the Pepsi Company.
Partnering with this large American brand a second time makes sense for FIFA due to the 2026 World Cup being hosted by the US, alongside Canada and Mexico. The deal also includes the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, taking place in Brazil.
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, said: “We’re delighted to extend this partnership with Lay’s and strengthen our collaboration as we head into a historic period for FIFA and the wider football community.
“After being involved in the last FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup, we’re proud that Lay’s has shared in our trust, vision and ideas for the development of the global game and has joined us on this journey into the future. Together, we will create special experiences for fans worldwide.”
Lay’s inclusion as an official regional sponsor of the 2026 World Cup further builds on FIFA’s efforts to set up a solid commercial foundation for the tournament, which will be the first to function under a new format. The competition will see 48 teams compete, 16 more than in previous tournaments.
Similar to other tournaments, FIFA has been striking deals with prominent local brands such as a recent deal with Bank of America. This is an approach shared with other governing bodies – for example, UEFA partnered with German supermarket chain Lidl for this year’s Euro 2024.
The Lay’s deal seems to fall within a similar region-focused scope. Marketing activations during the tournament will likely cover Lay’s full portfolio of brands including Doritos, Cheetos, Tostitos, Ruffles, Cracker Jack, PopCorners, Quaker and Gamesa.
Steven Williams, CEO of Frito-Lay and Quaker North America, added: “Joining FIFA as a regional sponsor in 2022 was a landmark moment for Frito-Lay, and we’re incredibly proud to have laid the groundwork for the next step of making our partnership global.
“The Lay’s brand has a long history of bringing fans together through a shared love for the game, and we look forward to creating even more iconic moments as we continue to use our brands to unite and inspire FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup fans all over the world.”
