The summer of soccer is winding down as fans prepare for the final matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament this weekend. The tournament has all but mesmerized fans over the past weeks, crushing global viewership records and anointing standout players into global superstars. The final weekend, which includes Spain and Argentina playing for the top spot and England and France vying for third place, is estimated to draw 1.8 billion viewers, making it the most-watched television event in history, according to market research company Business Stats. But the tournament has done even better on social media. According to FIFA, viral moments from the tournament have accumulated 20 billion social media views across its social platforms alone.
Meanwhile, the tournament has made global superstars out of several players, including Norway’s Erling Haaland, who collected an estimated 25 million new followers during the tournament, according to Forbes, and Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who shot from 50,000 followers on Instagram to more than 29 million, according to the BBC.
But it’s the wellness brands that bet big — like Unilever, Therabody and Oura — that should be feeling like winners this summer.
