Unilever named official sponsors for FIFA World Cup 2026
This involves deploying more than 35 personal care brands across the tournament to keep players, spectators, and fans fresh for every stage of the event.
USA – Unilever has set a new record with its FIFA World Cup 2026™ sponsorship by launching its largest-ever sports partnership activation as the Official Personal Care Sponsor.
This global campaign, led by Unilever Personal Care, spans flagship brands including Dove, Dove Men+Care, Rexona/Degree, and Axe/Lynx, delivering comprehensive coverage across deodorants, body washes, and body care products for diverse consumer segments worldwide.
As part of this activation is a creator-driven approach, with Unilever collaborating with a diverse network of influencers and content creators across its largest markets, including active sports fans and players, sportscasters, and fashion, lifestyle, and beauty influencers, all delivering immersive, social-first storytelling that helps fans feel fresh, confident, and ready for every moment off the pitch.
Afke van de Klashorst, Vice President of Integrated Brand Experience, Unilever Personal Care, stated, “Our ambition is for our brands to show up in spaces where fandom lives and in ways that are authentic, native to social, and meaningful by bringing freshness and confidence to matchday moments that matter most for fans, players and spectators.”
“This activation reflects how we’re engaging with sport not just as sponsorship, but as a platform to build brand desire and cultural relevance to drive superior growth.”
To support this creator-first strategy, Unilever has built the House of Fresh™, a dedicated in-person creator hub operating across three host cities: Mexico City, New York, and Miami.
This experiential space was purpose-built for social media feeds and designed to convert live participation into social selling and storytelling at scale.
Complementing this physical presence is The Locker Room, a new 24/7 social media hub delivering real-time responsive content across platforms like TikTok and YouTube, with a dedicated team comprising creator and community experts, along with sports and football strategists who shape, respond to, and amplify cultural moments as they unfold during the tournament.
With the tournament expected to reach approximately 6 billion people globally, the FIFA World Cup 2026™ presents an unprecedented opportunity for brands to connect with fans at scale, combining social engagement and shareability with TV’s emotional reach and social-first activity that keeps conversations going beyond match day.
The partnership runs through 2027, including the FIFA Women’s World Cup and FIFA e Finals, marking the first time FIFA has teamed up with personal care brands across women’s, men’s, and esports properties.
This activation builds on Unilever’s wider approach to cultural partnerships by showing up at the world’s biggest events within the communities that care most about them, pairing global reach with emotionally resonant storytelling to drive growth while creating meaningful connections with fans.
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