Impact of Advertising on the 2026 World Cup: Harmful Brands and Lack of Regulation

Advertising during the 2026 World Cup sparked controversy by displaying 93,000 ads for harmful products, featuring junk food, alcohol, and gambling brands upfront, highlighting the need for stricter regulations.

The World Cup as an advertising platform

Almost 6 billion people witnessed the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where 93,000 advertisements for unhealthy foods, alcoholic beverages, gambling, and speculative products were aired. A study led by British universities revealed that 70% of promoted brands were detrimental to health, with constant exposure during live matches.

Focus on harmful brands

The globally recognized brands that stood out the most were a famous soda brand, a fast-food chain, a sports drink brand, and a popular potato chips brand, responsible for 65% of the seen harmful product logos. This excessive exposure concerned experts, who argue that sports should promote healthy habits instead of being a platform for harmful advertising.

Lack of regulation and consequences

The study also exposed the lack of respect for national laws in FIFA's marketing agreements, allowing prohibited advertising to appear in different countries. The available technology to replace ads according to local regulations was not utilized, leading to unlicensed brands being promoted in territories where their advertising is banned, raising concerns about audience exposure, especially children and teenagers, to harmful products.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Impacto de la publicidad en el Mundial 2026: marcas nocivas y falta de regulación