When soccer culture inspires brands.

If you’ve spent any time on TikTok during the tournament, you’ve probably seen more fans than players. Portuguese fans firing up Toronto. Brazilians comforting Japanese supporters after their team was knocked out. Colombians and Ghanaians dancing together before kickoff…

Soccer (or “football” as it’s known outside of North America) no longer just happens on the field. The action also takes place in the streets, in bars, at watch parties, and through all the rituals that make the World Cup a cultural phenomenon. And when a culture grows strong enough, its influence extends far beyond its original industry.

In the past, brands partnered with soccer. Today, they embrace its culture.

And fashion is probably the best proof of that.

Loewe dresses Spain’s team. Jacquemus dresses France’s team. H&M and iconic Italian brand Lotto have turned vintage Italian soccer designs into ultra-modern streetwear. Pandora has launched a World Cup collection. Soccer is now influencing the aesthetic tastes of brands that have never sold a soccer ball and is turning players into fashion icons.

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LEGO goes even higher.

LEGO isn’t just celebrating the World Cup: it’s bringing it to life. With a replica trophy standing 27 feet tall in New York City, the brand has turned the World Cup into an Instagrammable attraction. At the same time, Messi, Mbappé, Ronaldo, and Vinícius Jr. have become collectible figurines and are now pop culture icons.

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Created in-house

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The most exciting campaigns are following a similar approach.

Adidas goes back to where it all began: street soccer. Because before it was a professional sport and an industry, soccer was first and foremost a game of the people. A vision brilliantly created by our colleagues at Lola USA, an agency in the Omnicom network.

"Backyard Legends is the culmination of a three-year strategy to claim adidas's leadership in sports and the culture born from it. Our intention was to turn the promise of self-belief captured in 'You Got This' into an epic story, where the street ballers and backyard athletes take center stage during the world's largest sporting event."

– JD Jurentkuff, CCO, Lola USA

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Agency: Lola USA

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Volkswagen depicts the morning-after that all fans are familiar with: rough wakeups, exhausted coworkers, and too many cups of coffee after staying up all night to watch a game that was played on the other side of the world.

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Agency: Bernbach • BBDO Germany

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Airbnb celebrates the encounters that only the World Cup brings about. The tournament serves as a pretext to tell the story of what happens when the entire world comes together in one place.

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Created in-house

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Bell reminds us of a truth that every sports enthusiast knows: fans recognize fans. Soccer is more than just a sport—it’s become a powerful symbol of belonging.

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Agency: LG2

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FanDuel speaks to the dual sense of belonging shared by millions of Canadians who, during the World Cup, no longer have to choose between their country of origin and Canada. Soccer becomes a means of expressing their identity as much as a sport.

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Agency: OneMethod

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Soccer has become a cultural force that speaks to identity, nostalgia, style, a sense of belonging, and community.

This year’s World Cup reminds us that great cultural moments can’t be bought with a media budget alone. Understanding the codes, rituals and behaviours around them are key. Because you don’t join a culture by speaking louder. You earn your place when you have something to contribute.

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