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Every four years, we see a huge shift in the advertising landscape, as the FIFA World Cup dominates our lives for the summer. For many, it’s all we can think about, meaning attention becomes scarce, while cultural moments emerge unpredictably, and brands compete to remain relevant in real time. The 2026 World Cup will see a whole new player added to the fray: artificial intelligence. The convergence of AI and footballers’ intellectual property is creating a fundamental shift in how World Cup advertising can, and should, be executed.
AI is no longer an experimental creative tool, and footballers are no longer simply sports stars. Together, they represent one of the most powerful opportunities available to brands seeking to build scalable, culturally resonant campaigns during the World Cup. However, this opportunity also introduces new legal, ethical, and reputational considerations that brands must address well in advance of the tournament.
The changing nature of World Cup advertising
In the social media age, World Cup marketing has been defined by speed. Matches generate unexpected heroes, emotional flashpoints, and viral moments that can dominate global conversation within minutes. Traditional advertising workflows, which rely on lengthy approvals, fixed creative assets, and rigid rights agreements, are poorly suited to this pace.
AI fundamentally changes this, enabling brands to prepare creative strategies in advance rather than relying on individual executions. When implemented correctly, AI allows brands to respond to live moments with high-quality, on-brand creative without compromising accuracy, legality, or relevance. This shift moves World Cup advertising away from static campaigns, toward adaptive content.
Footballers as high-value IP
Modern footballers function as global media brands in their own right. Their image, likeness, voice, personality, and behaviour - even their celebrations - are distributed across social media platforms, entertainment formats, and cultural spaces far beyond football itself. The World Cup dramatically amplifies this visibility, often transforming individual players into international cultural symbols within days.
For brands, footballers are an incredible concentration of trust, attention, and emotional connection. When a brand aligns itself with a player at the right moment, it gains access not only to reach but also to relevance. However, this value is inseparable from intellectual property rights, which extend far beyond traditional image usage and must be treated accordingly.
How AI expands the possibilities of talent-led campaigns
Historically, footballer endorsements have relied on limited sets of pre-produced assets, such as hero films, photoshoots, and social posts. AI enables a fundamentally different approach by allowing brands to generate dynamic, multi-format content at scale from a single licensed partnership.
With appropriate rights in place, AI can support the creation of localised, multi-language content, platform-specific formats, and reactive campaigns tied to live match moments or outcomes. The result is not simply more content, but more relevant content, delivered at the moment when audiences are most engaged.
What brands should be doing before the tournament begins
The brands that succeed during the World Cup will be those that treat the period before the tournament as a strategic preparation phase rather than a creative holding pattern.
Securing AI-specific rights
Traditional endorsement agreements rarely account for AI-generated usage. Brands must ensure that contracts explicitly address how a footballer’s likeness, voice, and performance can be used within AI systems. This includes permissions for content generation, localisation, adaptation, and remixing across formats and markets. Without these provisions, brands risk being unable to deploy AI tools at scale or, worse, unintentionally using talent IP without proper authorisation.
Building localised and scalable creative frameworks
AI allows brands to move beyond global creative that is lightly adapted for different regions. With the right licensing structures, brands can develop campaigns that speak directly to local audiences in their own language, cultural context, and platform preferences, while remaining consistent with the overarching brand narrative. This is particularly valuable during the World Cup, where national identity and regional pride will be at an all time high, and will play a central role in how content is received.
Preparing for reactive marketing
Reactive marketing has long been a World Cup aspiration, but rarely a reality. AI makes it possible to pre-build creative templates that can be rapidly populated based on match outcomes, player performances, or social media trends. When supported by clear rights, pre-approved creative guidelines, and aligned legal processes, brands can respond in near real time without sacrificing quality or control.
Creating fan-centric experiences through AI
Beyond advertising placements, AI enables brands to create interactive experiences that allow fans to engage directly with footballers in a scalable and controlled manner. These experiences may include personalised messages, AI-generated fan content, or interactive formats that deepen emotional connection during the tournament.
Such approaches shift the role of advertising from broadcasting to participation, which is increasingly important for younger, digitally native audiences.
Managing risk and protecting brand reputation
The accessibility of AI tools also introduces significant risk. The unauthorised use of footballers’ likenesses, voices, or identities can lead to legal disputes, public criticism, and long-term damage to brand credibility. During the World Cup, when scrutiny is intense and narratives spread rapidly, these risks are amplified. Brands must recognise that technological capability does not equate to legal or ethical permission. Responsible AI use requires explicit consent, transparent agreements, and respect for talent ownership.
A new model for World Cup advertising
The future of World Cup advertising will be defined by licensed, AI-enabled, talent-led campaigns rather than isolated campaign assets. Brands that invest early in the right partnerships, rights structures, and creative frameworks will be able to operate with speed, relevance, and confidence once the tournament begins.
Footballers will remain among the most influential figures in global culture, and AI will continue to reshape how creative work is produced and distributed. The brands that succeed will be those that understand how to bring these forces together responsibly, turning innovation into long-term value.
