Global fast-food heavyweight McDonald's will end its sponsorship of soccer's flagship FIFA World Cup after 32 years, it has been reported.
The partnership, which began with the 1994 World Cup in the US, concluded after the 2026 edition – part-hosted by the same country, alongside Mexico and Canada.
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Various media reports have suggested that the decision by US-based McDonald's was part of an overall rethink of the brand's marketing and sponsorship strategy.
The tie-up through which McDonald's sponsored this year's World Cup was unveiled in May 2023, and also covered the FIFA Women's World Cup in that year.
GlobalData Sport has valued that deal at $40 million annually.
On a recent earnings call, Ian Borden, chief financial officer at McDonald's, said that while the marketing campaign around the 2026 World Cup "provided a lift to the business and generated excellent system excitement," it "underperformed versus our expectations."
FIFA will need to find a replacement, ideally in advance of the 2027 Women's World Cup, taking place in Brazil in the middle of next year.
Other event-specific sponsors for the 2026 World Cup included Anheuser-Busch (through Budweiser and Michelob Ultra), Bank of America, Frito-Lay through Lay's, Hisense, Mengniu Dairy, and Unilever.
Will Padmore, senior data researcher at GlobalData Sport, analyses the decision, commenting: "On the face of it, there should be no shortage of interest from rivals of McDonald’s seeking to replace them as a sponsor of one of the world's largest sporting events – Burger King and KFC would both appear to have the necessary global footprint and financial resources to take over the sponsorship, for example.
"However, given McDonald’s appear to have walked away voluntarily from the deal, FIFA may face an uphill battle in securing an uplift or even equivalent value. If McDonald’s could not secure enough upside for the deal to make sense, are any competitors able to do a better job?"
He adds: "A further potential issue arises around another of FIFA's long-term sponsors, Coca-Cola, whose products are sold worldwide at McDonald’s, and although KFC has recently announced a switch to Coca-Cola in the US, both KFC and Burger King have regions in the world where Coca-Cola's main rival Pepsi supplies the soft drinks. If FIFA finds it difficult to secure a new deal at a better price, the humiliating prospect of a return of McDonald’s at a lower price cannot be entirely ruled out.
"The relationship has not been without its critics, with FIFA facing opposition from various parties who would prefer to see healthier food promoted. The seemingly voluntary departure of McDonald’s, therefore, may have allowed FIFA to replace the fast-food giant with a healthier option."
In terms of other McDonald's soccer sponsorships, the heavyweight is also the title partner of France's Ligue1, with that tie-up running through the ongoing 2026-27 campaign.
