2026 FIFA World Cup: Fanatics lands merchandising deal
A Fanatics ad on the sideline billboard during the NWSL game between the Houston Dash and Washington Spirit at Shell Energy Stadium on March 14, 2025 in Houston, Texas.
Aaron M. Sprecher | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
Fanatics has struck a deal to handle retail and merchandising for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the company announced Thursday.
The global competition will feature 104 matches in 16 stadiums in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.
“There is no bigger sporting event in the entire world than the World Cup… we do a lot of events; this is the biggest we will ever run,” said Andrew Low Ah Kee, CEO of Fanatics Commerce, the company’s manufacturing and retail arm.
For the past several years, Fanatics has managed retail operations at international sporting events such as MLB’s Tokyo Series, the NFL’s international slate, the NHL’s Four Nations tournament and UEFA’s Euro 2024 tournament in Germany. Fanatics was also the retail partner of FIFA’s Club World Cup tournament in the United States last summer.
As part of its agreement with FIFA for the 2026 tournament, Fanatics will oversee in-area retail operations at all 16 locations, the majority of which are NFL stadiums with seating capacity for more than 60,000 fans.
There will also be retail operations in the car parks at each stadium, as well as a retail presence at each of FIFA’s fan festival venues spread across the host cities. Fanatics anticipates having more than 2,000 outlets in total throughout the tournament.
“This is very real in terms of the logistics complexity, but I believe we are prepared,” said Low Ah Kee, adding that Fanatics is already operating at all venues where the tournament will be held.
While the length of the tournament (39 days to cover a larger area of 48 countries) can present another layer of complexity compared to one-off events or shorter tournaments, Low Ah Kee said the company aims to capitalize on the momentum built during the World Cup, capitalizing on the matchups and moments that arise to create quick-hit products and other limited-edition products.
Fanatics has expanded its football-focused retail operations in recent years and is a partner of MLS, a quarter of the Premier League clubs, and some of the biggest club teams worldwide, including PSG, Inter Milan and Juventus. It is also the partner of many national teams that will compete, such as Argentina, England, France, Belgium and Germany.
Low Ah Kee said Fanatics’ existing relationships help the company better understand football fans. Low Ah Kee said this means more fashionable products and especially more scarves.
Fanatics is currently in talks with partners, manufacturers, brands and retailers to ensure the product remains well stocked for what is expected to be an unprecedented sports retail moment.
“We think this might be some of the biggest events we’ve run historically,” Low Ah Kee said, declining to share specific numbers. he said.
Fanatics’ hosting of the 2026 World Cup will also set the stage for another major initiative: The company will oversee retail operations for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
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