Saturday 18 July 2026 5:00 am
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Friday 17 July 2026 11:48 am
Does David Beckham's adverts prove this World Cup had too much celebrity?
Graham McKenna assesses whether David Beckham proves this World Cup had too much celebrityAs the curtain starts to fall on another World Cup, a lot of conversation around this year’s tournament hasn’t been about the football itself, but the business surrounding it. The introduction of mandatory hydration breaks sparked plenty of debate, with many critics arguing whether they had become just an advertising opportunity rather than a player welfare measure, with broadcaster Fox generating a reported sum of several hundred million dollars in ad revenue from them.The debate wasn’t really about drinks breaks but more about the commercial value of attention. Every available moment of the tournament has become an opportunity for brands to reach audiences, which explains why one face has been almost impossible to escape over the past month: Sir David Beckham. From Lays and Stella Artois to Adidas and AliExpress, the recently knighted Beckham has certainly been a royal acquisition for companies looking to elevate themselves to global audiences. Our analysis found Beckham appeared in 21 commercials across 10 different brands, making him by far the tournament’s most-used celebrity. However, it does prompt the question: At what point does the world’s most recognisable sports ambassador become too familiar for brands?
