How retailers are celebrating the 2026 FIFA World Cup with their fans

Right on cue for kickoff at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, retailers are taking the field and putting their own game plans into action. Many are using the tournament to engage customers through events, promotions, and digital participation experiences. Whether through public viewing events, pop-up spaces, or app-based games, retailers are leveraging their home-field advantage to create brand experiences that go well beyond traditional sales promotions and World Cup merchandise collections. We have gathered a few examples from international retail.

Many retailers are investing in physical experiences to attract both loyal and potential customers to their stores and offer them memorable events.

INTERSPORT is opening a temporary Clubhouse featuring a small soccer field, grandstand seating, tournaments, and community events. Soccer fans can customize products in the Make-it Lab and personalize jerseys with World Cup patches. In addition, several flagship stores are hosting public viewing events accompanied by entertainment programs.

Macy’s is combining experiential retail with community engagement. At its Herald Square flagship store in New York City, the retailer is creating a soccer-themed world featuring interactive elements and sports-related activities, including large-format athlete photography and an immersive stadium tunnel experience.

Meanwhile Walmart is planning free fan events in numerous U.S. cities, held in store parking lots and featuring snacks, games, music, interactive activities, and special guests.

Auch Breuninger is also getting the ball rolling. At its Stuttgart flagship store, the Eduard’s Bar is being transformed into a sports bar for the duration of the tournament, complete with live match broadcasts, music, and additional fan activities. Facade installations and window displays will also bring World Cup flair to the cityscape. To keep fans energized, the retailer is serving food and beverages inspired by the cuisines of the host countries: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

And sometimes a smaller promotion is enough to score a winner: British supermarket chain Morrisons is rewarding fans who show up wearing their national team jerseys with free drinks in its cafés.

In addition to in-person experiences, retailers are also turning to digital formats.

Lidl is counterattacking with AI-generated avatars that react to matches in real time and create up-to-the-minute content for advertising campaigns. The virtual food characters pick up on events on the field and connect them to relevant product themes. For example, “Willy Sausage” might promote products for the next backyard barbecue.

Morrisons is taking the World Cup from the pitch to customers’ smartphones. Through the retailer’s loyalty app, customers can participate in a digital prediction game. Depending on how far their randomly assigned team advances in the tournament, different rewards and bonus points are unlocked.