Liquor companies are investing heavily in the 2026 FIFA World Cup to combat falling sales. They are hoping to increase their sales during this big tournament with 48 teams through sponsorship.
On one hand, while millions of football fans around the world are eagerly waiting for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there is another group whose eyes are fixed on this game. These are the world’s largest liquor manufacturing companies. In many countries including America, there has been a big decline in the sale of liquor for some time. According to a CNN report, to overcome this crisis, big beer and liquor companies are spending millions of dollars on World Cup sponsorship and advertisements.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in America, Canada and Mexico will be the biggest tournament in history. 48 teams will participate in it and 104 matches will be played in six weeks. Companies believe that this environment can prove to be a big boost for the sales of beer, wine and other liquor.
‘Do or die’ situation for Diageo
This World Cup is very important for the liquor giant Diageo. Recently the company’s earnings in North America fell by 9% and spirits (strong liquor) sales in the US fell by 15%. The main reason for this is the decline in demand for the company’s popular brand ‘Casamigos Tequila’. To deal with this crisis, Diageo has agreed to become the official spirit sponsor of FIFA for the first time in history.
This will be the first time in World Cup history that spirits will be officially allowed to be sold in stadiums and fan festivals. Diageo will use this golden opportunity to market its top brands like ‘Buchanans Scotch Whiskey’, ‘Don Julio 1942’ and ‘Casamigos’ to millions of fans.
Big preparations for beer companies too
People cutting down on non-essential expenses and shifting towards cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks is also impacting the beer market. Anheuser-Busch InBev, which has been the official beer sponsor of FIFA for the last 40 years, is entering the fray this time by putting forward its most popular brand ‘Miquelob Ultra’. The company is focusing on those bars where fans sit together and watch the matches and are preparing for a large-scale promotion there.
At the same time, despite not being an official sponsor, Heineken has increased its budget for advertisements in bars by 200%. Milson Coors has also increased the budget of its football-focused advertisements by 60%. Apart from this, in view of the growing trend of non-alcoholic drinks, the company is also promoting its non-alcoholic beer ‘Coors 0.0%’ through this tournament.