FIFA World Cup 2026: Fanatics get trade deal

The company announced Thursday that it has struck a deal to manage retail and promotion for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The global competition will see 104 matches played in 16 stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico this coming summer.

“There is no bigger sporting event in the whole world than the World Cup… We have done a lot of events, and this is the biggest event we have done so far,” said Andrew Low Ah Kee, CEO of Fanatics Commerce, the company’s manufacturing and retail arm.

Over the past several years, Fanatics has overseen retail operations at international sporting events such as the MLB Tokyo Series, the NFL’s roster of international games, the NHL’s Four Nations Championship, and the UEFA Euro 2024 Championship in Germany. Fanatics was also the retail partner for the FIFA Club World Cup across the United States last summer.

As part of its deal with FIFA for the 2026 tournament, Fanatics will oversee retail operations at all 16 locations, which are mostly NFL stadiums with a seating capacity of more than 60,000 fans.

It will also have retail operations in the parking lot of each stadium, as well as a retail presence at each of the FIFA Fan Fest locations located throughout the host cities. In total, Fanatics expects to have more than 2,000 point-of-sale locations during the tournament.

“In terms of logistical complexity, it is very real, but I am confident in our readiness,” Low Ah Ki said, adding that Fanatics has already worked on all the venues where the tournament will be held.

While the length of the tournament — 39 days, to accommodate a larger field of 48 countries — could introduce another layer of complexity compared to one-off events or shorter tournaments, Low Ah Kee said the company aims to build on the momentum built during the World Cup, and capitalize on the matches and moments that arise to create quick-hit products and other limited-edition merchandise.

Fanatics has expanded its soccer-focused retail operations in recent years, and is a partner of MLS, a quarter of English Premier League clubs, and many top club teams around the world such as Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Juventus. It is also a partner of many of the national teams that will compete, such as Argentina, England, France, Belgium and Germany.

Low Ah Kee said existing fanatic relationships helped the company understand football fans better. This means more on-trend products, specifically, more scarves, Low Ah Kee said.

Fanatics is already in discussions with partners, manufacturers, brands and vendors to ensure the product remains well-stocked for what is expected to be an unprecedented sports retail moment.

“We believe this may be one of the largest events we have seen historically,” Low Ah Kee said, declining to reveal specific numbers.

Executing Fanatics for the 2026 World Cup will also pave the way for another huge undertaking: the company will oversee retail operations for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

Disclosure: NBCUniversal, parent company of CNBC, owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics is the U.S. broadcast rights holder for all summer and winter games through 2036. Versant will become the new parent company of CNBC based on Comcast’s planned spinoff of Versant.