How brands can use the World Cup to promote without triggering outrage

For some companies, it’s a non-dilemma

For some of the major companies that are sponsoring the tournament itself or individual teams — including all seven of the official FIFA sponsors — there isn’t much of a dilemma. For them, the World Cup simply presents too big of an investment and marketing opportunity. Consider that during the 2018 World Cup, a record 3.6 billion people watched the games. For perspective, the Super Bowl had an estimated 208 million viewers in 2022. And despite all the controversy, this year’s World Cup is expected to deliver record revenues, even more than the $5.4 billion generated at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.