Being Seen vs. Being Felt: What the World Cup Taught Us About Brand Loyalty

Every four years, the world slows its arguing long enough to watch a ball pass back and forth across a field for 90+ minutes, match after match, for five straight weeks. 

During this year's World Cup, more than 6.25 million spectators attended matches in the group stages alone, averaging 65,200 spectators per game (FIFA). Ninety-seven percent of Norway tuned in to watch their team’s first World Cup match since 1998. England’s opener against Croatia peaked at 15.4 million viewers, the UK’s highest TV viewership of the year. Millions who couldn’t find Cape Verde on a map found themselves cheering for this inspiring team and hoping for a groundbreaking win. For 39 days, matches have been streamed in restaurants and bars, public plazas, and even offices and schools as political noise took a back seat.  

Brands see the massive opportunities this kind of fervor presents. It’s why they’ll spend millions on a sponsorship slot, a 15-second broadcast appearance, or a name printed on the side of the field. While this is a common strategy, visibility does not equate to connection. It’s important to ask: Is the win simply being seen? Or does it just get the brand in the door to a party they don’t know how to participate in?  

The World Cup is a huge brand opportunity for international outreach—but not every brand homing in on this idea is doing it the same way. So, who is getting it right? Those with emotional attunement. It is no longer a question about budget but about connection. Brands that can demonstrate that they truly understand what their audiences want, need, and feel are emerging on top. 

A great example of this is Adidas. The global brand has been in partnership with FIFA since 1970, supplying the ball, kitting up fourteen national teams, and hosting widespread events for fans. However, its success was never about how many places their logo can be displayed; it was about growing as a brand in unison with the growth of the sport. It was about brand loyalty and decades of tradition, relationships, and product credibility. A simple way to put this: 

“The brands that showed up decades ago aren’t paying for attention anymore. They bought it years ago and have been collecting the dividend ever since.” (Famous Campaigns)

Adidas’ standout 2026 campaign, “Backyard Legends," brings the brand’s historic involvement with the World Cup to life in a binge-worthy format. It follows three unstoppable kids—Clive, Ruthie, and Isaak—who have not lost a football match since 1996. They gear up to challenge world-famous players: football legends such as David Beckham and Lionel Messi, along with next-generation talent such as Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal.  

Instead of promoting products, Adidas promoted the experience. The ads embodied the experience of playing for joy and healthy competition as opposed to pressure and expectation. They turned ‘Watch the World Cup with us’ into ‘We recognize your love for the game and where it came from.” The idea of picking up a ball as a kid, as many of us have done, reinforces the personal connection to the sport with the best players in the world representing a dream team, those who make the legacy and culture of the game what it is. 

The results? It became the most discussed World Cup ad with over 56 million views on Instagram alone, along with millions more across other platforms. Over $10 billion went into World Cup advertising in total, with many brands using game highlights for leverage. Adidas used a backyard. That is the real win. No match footage, trophy, or stadium. They prioritized relatability, giving their audience something to feel nostalgic about by tapping into the origins of soccer fans’ love for the game.  

This is emotional attunement.  

It takes personal connection and ties it to what’s relevant. Adidas did not outspend the competition—instead, they leaned into culture and resonance, putting their community at the center of their world. The brands that can understand and act on the concept of belonging are going to be the ones that win, regardless of ad expenditure. It isn’t just about being seen; it is about being felt.  

The next time you are given an opportunity for your brand to stand out, ask yourself: Are we just being recognized, or are we creating a sense of belonging? That distinction is what will push you to the other side.