China Mengniu Dairy Co

The 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada has concluded, and Chinese brand marketing has shifted from a ‘betting-style’ approach to a ‘companion-style’ one, leveraging new tournament rules like cooling breaks and the emotional farewell of legendary players. FIFA mandated three-minute cooling breaks in each half of every match, adding approximately 7.5 hours of advertising time across the entire tournament. Fox Sports alone is expected to generate over 250 million dollars in advertising revenue from these breaks. Brands such as BOSS Zhipin, Bu Shui La, Eastroc Beverage, Alien Electrolyte Water, and Mengniu took turns appearing during CCTV’s cooling break slots. Capitalizing on the emotional farewell of superstars like Messi and Ronaldo, Mengniu, which has an endorsement deal with Messi, Cotti Coffee became the global sponsor of the Argentina national team, and Luckin Coffee sponsored the Portugal and Spain national teams, creating a rivalry among brand camps. Taobao Flash Sale partnered with 12 brands to anchor key match highlights. Carlsberg’s brand business grew over 600 percent year-on-year on June 27. After Spain’s victory, Luckin Coffee released 100,000 free drink coupons, with co-branded meal sets reaching an average customer spend of 33.9 yuan. Cotti Coffee tied free drinks to every goal scored by Argentina, giving away a total of 220,000 cups. Mengniu covered all 104 matches with the slogan ‘Whoever wins, come to Mengniu.’ Instant retail platforms also launched game-day food and drink companions. The marketing focus has shifted from pursuing exposure to resonating with consumer emotions and building long-term relationships.

China has emerged as the economic winner of the global sports spectacle, even though its national team did not qualify for the finals. It is the largest exporter of sporting goods and equipment, accounting for more than 40 percent of the global market, with export value reaching hundreds of billions of yuan. Jerseys and memorabilia for superstar players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland are all produced in Chinese factories to meet demand from fans worldwide. Meanwhile, Chinese brands such as Hisense and Mengniu use pitch-side advertising boards to elevate their image on the international stage. In addition, Chinese manufacturers show flexibility in quickly switching production lines from sports goods to items for other shopping festivals once the craze subsides.