The 2026 World Cup fever taking place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico has now reached its peak. Behind the tactical competition on the green pitch, a trillion-rupiah business battle is unfolding between the world's two sports apparel giants, Adidas and Nike.
Ahead of the final match, Adidas is guaranteed to emerge as the winner in the fight for the main stage. The final, which brings together Argentina and Spain in New York/New Jersey, is a golden moment for the German manufacturer. Consequently, the championship trophy is guaranteed to be lifted by a team wearing "Three Stripes" jerseys. In addition, Adidas also secured the spotlight through its two main icons, the legend Lionel Messi and the young Spanish star, Lamine Yamal.
Conversely, their main rival, Nike, must settle for the third-place play-off in Miami, which pits France against England. The elimination of both teams in the semifinals was a blow to Nike in its domestic market, considering they are not an official sponsor of the tournament and only rely on partnerships with teams and individual players.
Nevertheless, FIFA remains the entity that benefits the most financially. With a new format involving 48 teams and 104 matches, the world football federation managed to record a sponsorship revenue of 2.8 billion US dollars, equivalent to Rp49.9 trillion. This figure has surged sharply compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which recorded revenue of 1.8 billion US dollars.
FIFA's robust business model is supported by a tiered sponsorship system. Investment values range from 10 million to over 200 million US dollars for exclusive global commercial rights. The main sponsor category is filled by multinational brands such as Adidas, Coca-Cola, and Hyundai-Kia, which have committed to pouring in fantastic funds.
Interestingly, this tournament also proved that marketing creativity can compete with big capital. The legendary denim brand, Levi's, managed to steal the spotlight through a clever strategy when their iconic logo at the Santa Clara stadium had to be covered with a white cloth to comply with FIFA regulations. Levi's responded to the restriction with a digital campaign titled "The logo disappeared, the brand didn't" which successfully triggered widespread interaction on social media without needing to pay FIFA's official licensing fees.
