World Cup talk dominated by halftime show, not brands

SAMY has found that brands account for less than 1% of US social media conversations about the FIFA World Cup, with off-pitch topics dominating discussion ahead of the tournament.

Analysis by the social-first agency, using Sprinklr data, showed the World Cup final halftime show announcement generated 49,385 US social media mentions from March to May, making it the biggest conversation driver in the build-up. By contrast, the qualification exits of Italy and Denmark, the only on-pitch topic in the top five, drew 10,328 mentions.

The findings suggest tournament discussion is being shaped more by entertainment, travel costs and wider controversies than by football itself. Transport prices ranked third with 3,747 mentions, followed by racism and FIFA on 2,087, while pre-tournament docuseries from services including Apple TV, HBO and Tubi recorded 2,078 mentions.

SAMY also tracked sentiment across those themes. The halftime show announcement drew 74% positive sentiment, while transport prices registered 60% negative sentiment and racism-related discussion was 84% negative.

US reaction to the halftime show contrasted with sentiment in other markets, including the UK, where broadcasters are opting not to air performances and instead focus on match analysis. Shakira, the artist at the centre of the announcement, attracted 2,548 mentions, ahead of BTS on 2,169, Madonna on 1,075 and Coldplay on 1,058.

Brand visibility

For sponsors and advertisers, the research suggests limited visibility in the current wave of tournament discussion. Official brand partners appeared in just 1% of total US World Cup-related social conversations tracked in the study.

Among the brands that did break through, Adidas held a 58% share of brand-focused World Cup social discussion, helped by its "Backyard legends" campaign. Coca-Cola followed with 12%, while DoorDash accounted for 7%. Of DoorDash mentions, 45% were classified as negative after criticism linked to comments from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy about the partnership.

The data adds to a broader debate about how brands attach themselves to major sports events when the surrounding cultural conversation takes on a life of its own. In this case, the biggest topic in the run-up was not a team, player or match issue, but the entertainment planned around the final.

That pattern resembles the role of halftime entertainment at the Super Bowl, where performers can eclipse the game in online discussion. Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime performance drew 34,326 US-based mentions on 8 February 2026, according to SAMY, suggesting cultural tie-ins can command attention at a scale conventional sponsorship messaging may struggle to match.

Jayson Fittipaldi, Head of Product Innovation at SAMY, commented on the findings and their implications for marketers trying to cut through around the tournament.

"This is the largest World Cup to date, giving brands more opportunities than ever to build awareness amongst a global audience. But SAMY's data suggests that the lead up to the tournament has been noisier than ever, making cut-through difficult, even for giants such as Adidas and Coca-Cola. And most of those online conversations are being dominated by everything but the soccer. Despite the much-publicized negative stories around affordability and global perceptions, US audiences aren't rejecting the World Cup entirely. The opportunity, therefore, lies with brands that demonstrate genuine, local value to US communities, as well as tapping into those huge cultural moments such as the Shakira-led halftime performance. We've seen the impact the Super Bowl halftime show can have for brands, and many will be hoping to have their "Bad Bunny" moment at this tournament. It is also going to be the most 'social' World Cup in history, with TikTok announcing a roster of global creators acting as 'official correspondents', giving fans behind-the-scenes access. The platform is set to be the epicentre for those unfiltered fan narratives, making it the essential platform for real-time brand activations," said Fittipaldi.

The rankings suggest marketers face a crowded environment in which even official sponsors can be sidelined by celebrity appearances, public debate and fan commentary. Adidas led sponsor conversation with a 58% share of brand-centric World Cup social mentions.