This story is part of our editorial series on how major retailers, fashion conglomerates, beauty brands and CPG startups are leveraging this year’s biggest-ever FIFA World Cup to their advantage.The 2026 FIFA World Cup is on track to be the most-watched sporting event in history. In its tournament opener on June 12, the U.S. Men’s National Team garnered an average of 18 million viewers during its match against Paraguay, up 132% from their tournament opener in 2022, according to Yahoo! Sports.
That’s good news for Unilever, the official personal care sponsor of the tournament and parent company to brands like Axe, Degree and Dove. The conglomerate is banking on worldwide fandom to support its hefty $10 billion-plus investment.
As previously reported by Glossy, Unilever’s strategy includes limited-edition product runs and a marketing funnel packed with thousands of creators.
“This is our biggest sports partnership ever at Unilever,” Afke Van de Klashorst, vp of integrated brand experiences at Unilever’s personal care division, told Glossy. “We are activating 35 brands in 120 markets, and we have 180 limited-edition [products] that have gone into millions of retailer locations across the world.”
