São Paulo, June 2026 – The 2026 FIFA World Cup will not only be the planet’s premier sporting event. For brands, the tournament is expected to usher in a new era of consumer behavior, defined by fragmented audiences, multiple screens, and an ongoing battle for attention.
According to an analysis by MiQ, the global programmatic media company, more than 5 billion people are expected to follow the World Cup through linear television and digital platforms, while the tournament is projected to generate over 15 billion social interactions throughout the competition.
For brands, however, the challenge will not simply be maximizing reach during matches, but understanding how consumers simultaneously watch, search, comment, and shop throughout the event.
“The most effective campaigns will not necessarily be those with the largest investments, but those that best interpret audience behavior in real time. Today, the tournament is experienced while people watch, browse, and shop across multiple devices simultaneously,” said Guilherme Assumpção, Managing Director at MiQ.
MiQ’s study shows that the World Cup can no longer be treated as a homogeneous audience. The analysis identifies three primary behavioral profiles during the tournament, and understanding these differences will be critical to campaign effectiveness.
Die-Hard Fan: A highly engaged football audience that follows the event intensely. This group includes approximately 29 million unique users in Brazil, with a strong presence in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte.
Social Patriot: Viewers who use the World Cup as a social experience, following highlights, social media conversations, and shared content during matches. This segment represents approximately 20 million unique users in the country.
Sports Fan: While football may not be their primary interest, this audience represents a valuable target for entertainment, lifestyle, and streaming brands. The segment totals approximately 54 million unique users in Brazil.
According to MiQ, nearly 48% of the total audience for the 2026 World Cup is expected to come from streaming and OTT platforms, while 76% of fans will use a second mobile screen during matches.
In practice, this means audience attention will be spread simultaneously across connected TV, social media, short-form video, search engines, apps, and e-commerce platforms.
The conversation begins before kickoff, intensifies during the match, and continues afterward, driven by social content, highlights, and real-time digital interactions.
The 2026 World Cup is also expected to strengthen Brazil’s strategic importance for brands and media platforms.
According to MiQ’s analysis, approximately 49 million Brazilians are interested in the tournament, while the country accounts for between 30% and 40% of Latin America’s television audience during FIFA World Cups.
The tournament will feature 104 matches—60% more than a traditional edition—significantly expanding opportunities for advertising activations.
In addition, more than 1.2 million international visitors are expected to travel to the United States, Canada, and Mexico during the event, including a substantial number of high-income Brazilian travelers.
For MiQ, the key competitive advantage during the World Cup will be brands’ ability to interpret context, personalize messaging, and activate campaigns in real time.
Connected TV (CTV), online video, mobile, retail media, digital out-of-home (DOOH), and dynamic creative formats are expected to play a central role in communication strategies throughout the tournament.
“The trend is for advertising during the World Cup to become increasingly dynamic and contextual. Brands that can adapt messages, formats, and channels to the consumption moment of each audience will gain a competitive advantage in an environment where attention is becoming ever more fragmented,” Assumpção concluded.
