The 2026 FIFA World Cup is right around the corner. Not only is it the signature event for the world’s most popular sport, but this year’s tournament is also the largest in the competition’s history. Taking place from June 11 to July 19 and spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the soccer spectacle will expand into its largest pool of teams ever, thus drawing an even larger crowd from across the globe. In the U.S. alone, fans are set to descend on 11 major cities, including New York, Miami, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Seattle.

With over 6 million fans projected to attend matches and millions more set to flood host cities, it’s shaping up to be a bonanza of activity and a major opportunity for promotional products distributors.

And yet, distributors in these cities say local businesses aren’t really aware of what is about to hit them. At the very least, those businesses may be underestimating this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“We’re just not seeing it,” says Tom Goos, president and CEO of Image Source (asi/230121), which is based in the Seattle area.

Part of that, Goos surmises, comes down to price skittishness. With the tariffs and the continuing situation in Iran, pricing and sourcing are difficult, and businesses – particularly small businesses who might want to capitalize on the rush of tourism – are using their marketing budgets elsewhere. “I think with global instability – wars and things going on – people are just being more conservative with spending,” Goos says.

Griffith McDaniel, president of Brandwell (asi/205946), a distributor in Aliso Viejo, CA, not too far from Los Angeles, says his experience has been similar. “We haven’t had one World Cup-related request,” he says, adding that Los Angeles is a “crazy market” where even the biggest sporting events like the Super Bowl don’t take top billing.

McDaniel said that, on the more retail side of things, businesses like souvenir shops, airports and gas stations that sell tourist merchandise are starting to stock up. But in terms of promotional products and giveaways, or corporate merch related to the World Cup, he says it’s been fairly quiet.

As things get closer, he adds, signage could start popping up, especially when it’s co-branded with the tournament’s sponsors. “You’re probably going to start seeing signs, maybe they’re co-branded with beer companies or different things in terms of ‘World Cup viewing,’” says McDaniel, who counts himself as a soccer fan. “You’re starting to see a little more like that for viewing purposes.”

“In this industry, so much stuff is last minute. I think it’s going to be a thing that, once [the World Cup is] here, people will be like, ‘Oh, we should have something.’ And then it’s going to be either a rush job or not doable.”

Lucrative Opportunities Through Activations

Local businesses may not have made a play yet for the World Cup, but there are other indications of the swelling demand in advance of the event. Notably, “soccer” and “soccer ball” were the two fastest-growing search terms on ESP in Q1 this year – increasing 187% and 128%, respectively, compared to Q1 of 2025. That matches reports from distributors that World Cup activity is ramping up with other types of clients and events.

In the New York City area, where New Jersey’s Meadowlands Stadium will play host to the World Cup, Whitestone (asi/359741) has found plenty of opportunities for branded campaigns on both sides of the Hudson.

“We’re in two different ‘pools’ for the World Cup right now,” says Emily Vilanova, director of client services for Whitestone. “On one side is the event agency side. Whitestone works really closely with experiential event agencies – many of our longest-standing clients originate out of New York City. We’re working with them and their brands to bring all of the activations for the World Cup to life. That includes some big orders with larger brands.”

187%
The percentage increase in ESP searches for “soccer” in Q1 2026 – making it the fastest-growing search term in the quarter. “Soccer ball” was second with 128% growth.(ASI Research)

Vilanova said that this also carries over to promotional products sales in categories like stadium giveaways, event giveaways and uniforms for people onsite at these activations.

“On the client side, it’s similar but twofold,” she says. “Some of the larger brands we work with are activating within their own offices – doing things for their staff. For example, they’re creating personalized branded soccer jerseys and sending them to employees and top clients, or sending soccer balls for office use.”

Vilanova and Whitestone have incorporated the soccer theme into otherwise ordinary corporate gifting campaigns and giveaways. Vilanova says that she was part of a meeting where a client was talking about giving employees who were attending matches products to enhance their game-day experiences, like stadium bags, flags, binoculars and co-branded scarves.

“It’s definitely a hot topic,” she says.

Whitestone has created a specific deck for clients explaining how the World Cup can be an opportunity for branded merchandise. Says Vilanova: “We’ve been promoting it to clients saying, ‘Hey, we can help you create products built for match day,’ using it to win new business and capitalize on the event.”

Planning for a Late Rush

While soccer is the world’s most popular sport, it’s no secret that in the U.S. it takes a back seat to other major sports like football or baseball. Still, that undersells how much the sport has grown in America, and the fact that fan interest has sharply increased in recent years.

For Soccer reported that FOX Sports saw a 30% increase in average U.S. viewership of the previous World Cup in 2022 compared to 2018. (Like the Olympics, the World Cup takes place every four years.) Other networks, like NBC Sports and Peacock, saw a 14% increase. For the climactic final between Argentina and France, broadcasters reported a 31% jump from the previous tournament.

Even more telling: Americans purchased nearly 150,000 tickets to matches in the previous World Cup, which took place in Qatar – more than any other visiting nation.

“We’re working with our clients and their brands to bring all of the activations for the World Cup to life. That includes some big orders with larger brands.”Emily Vilanova, Whitestone (asi/359741)

For Soccer also reported that 87 million Americans express at least “a little interest” in the World Cup, while the number of newer fans – those who’ve taken an interest in the sport in the last five years – has grown 57%.

Combining the excitement of the U.S. team once again participating in the World Cup with the America250 celebration creates an opportunity for doubly patriotic giveaways that harness the excitement taking place all over the country this summer.

Host cities will be holding specific fan events in public spaces like parks that have the chance to be a haven for promos. In Bellevue, WA, for example – just across the water from neighboring Seattle – the city’s BelRed Arts District will include inflatable installations “blending art and sport,” and the city’s Bellevue Connection shopping and dining center will feature interactive displays, photo opportunities and family-friendly events with plenty of branded visibility. One example is at Bellevue Brewing Company, which will have a “tank-to-tap” experience for a limited-edition World Cup-themed beer at pubs and hotels across the city, as well as its flagship location.

This type of fan influx and interaction is something that distributors think local businesses should take advantage of. In smaller cities such as Kansas City, the scale of the event is truly unique. “[The World Cup] will potentially be the single largest event that Kansas City has been able to host in its lifetime as a city,” Merchpath founder Ivan Hadzhiev told the Kansas City Business Journal in February. “Tons of fans and tourists will be coming here and dying to buy souvenirs and branded merchandise. … There’s going to be a massive opportunity for companies to monetize their branding.”

Vilanova agrees that so far small businesses haven’t leaned into World Cup promotional products, but that could change quickly. “I haven’t seen anything major in that space yet,” she says. “We also tend to work with a lot of last-minute buyers, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that starts to pop up as we get closer to summer.”

Goos and McDaniel also believe as the tournament gets closer, and perhaps even once it kicks off, businesses will realize they’re behind the eight ball. “I tend to think that closer to the games – [Seattle is] hosting six games, four group stage matches and two knockout matches – there might be some rushed opportunities, which isn’t unusual in our industry,” Goos says.

Adds McDaniel: “Once it starts people will have the fever, which always happens, and so I think mid-tournament is when people will be like, ‘Oh, we should do something.’”