The report says Adidas pushed hard into the tournament:
Yet the same update says investors were unmoved by the broader spend. Sales reportedly rose, but footwear growth was modest, profits missed expectations, and marketing costs were sharply higher. Gulde’s response sounded like a chief executive arguing for patience rather than immediate applause.
McDonald’s seems to be wrestling with a similar problem. Collectibles and the World Cup 26 Meal gave the campaign obvious football flavour, but Chris Kempczinski reportedly warned against relying on “equity emprestado” from major partnerships. He also admitted the modern ad battle is crowded: “É difícil aparecer quando há tantas mensagens por aí,” he said, per the report.
Elsewhere, the picture looks brighter. The report says Coca-Cola linked part of its strong quarter to the World Cup, with Henrique Gnani Braun saying the sponsorship helped drive one of the brand’s best volume performances in years.
Visa also appears to have found a clean commercial runway in tournament traffic. “Como sabemos, a Copa do Mundo da trouxe muitos visitantes aos Estados Unidos,” Chris Suh said, according to the report, as the company pointed to stronger spending in host cities and increased international visitor activity.
The wider lesson is simple: football can still move markets, but only when the activation feels direct, visible and easy to convert. As the road to 2026 continues, the next quarterly cycle will be worth watching - because sponsors are no longer being judged on presence alone, but on whether the World Cup actually shows up in the numbers.