In a milestone move, Bank of America signs on as global sponsor of 2026 World Cup

With less than two years to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in North America, the tide of interest continues to rise among fans - and sponsors - ahead of the summer blockbuster, to be hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Further proof of that trend came this week when - in a milestone move - Bank of America signed on as a global sponsor for the 2026 World Cup, marking the first time FIFA has signed a global sponsor in the banking category.

The level of Global sponsor is the second-highest tier in the FIFA corporate partnership hierarchy. Though financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Sports Business Journal reported that sponsorships at that level for the 2026 World Cup cost approximately $100M. The deal is Bank of America’s largest sports marketing investment.

Additional announced global sponsors for the 2026 World Cup include Budweiser, McDonald’s, Unilever’s Dove Men+Care brand and China-based Mengniu Dairy. Top-level FIFA partners for the current World Cup cycle include Aramco, Adidas, Coca-Cola, Hyundai-Kia, Qatar Airways and Visa.

“Football connects the world like no other sport,” Bank of America Chair and CEO Brian Moynihan said in a statement. “FIFA World Cup 26 is a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the pursuit of excellence and how we deliver for our clients, teammates and the communities we serve across the U.S. and around the world.”

If the stars align, 2026 will mark the first time the U.S. men’s national team will play in a summer World Cup since 2014. After failing to qualify for the 2018 tourney, the U.S. bowed out of the most recent event in the Round of 16. The 2022 World Cup was pushed to November and December, as conditions on the ground in Qatar did not allow for a traditional summer staging.

The USMNT then crashed out of this summer’s Copa America, and after subsequently firing coach Gregg Berhalter, US Soccer reportedly agreed to terms to hire former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino as their next coach - all with the aim of reinvigorating the program in the run-up to the World Cup on home soil.

Copa América kicked off a summer of soccer in 2024, but it’s was really the start of a long road to the North American World Cup in 2026 for marketers, broadcasters and brands.

The North American runway to the 2026 World Cup includes the upcoming and expanded FIFA Club World Cup, also scheduled to be hosted in the U.S. in July 2025. The Club World Cup will bring European attention-getters like Real Madrid and Manchester City to North American audiences. Club soccer already has been a hot property in North America, with the expansion of Major League Soccer, the arrival of Lionel Messi to Inter Miami and an increased rivalry between MLS and Liga MX.

According to SBJ, the World Cup sponsorship represents an uncharacteristic investment in soccer by Bank of America, the country’s second largest bank, which has associated itself most with the NFL, MLB and NASCAR through team and event-level deals. Last year, the Charlotte-based bank renewed its naming rights to the city’s NFL stadium, which is also home to MLS’ Charlotte FC, and last year also signed on as the presenting sponsor of the Boston Marathon.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Bank of America as a global sponsor of this groundbreaking FIFA World Cup,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement. “Bank of America’s commitment to community engagement both domestically and globally aligns with our goals for the tournament and beyond, while its support of FIFA on an international basis is a major milestone for our organization as we continue to serve our game for the benefit of the entire world.”

For the 2022 Qatar World Cup, FIFA had seven partners at each of those levels, as well as regional supporters in each of the organization’s five regions: Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa, North America and South America.