32 • July | August 2026 • abasto.com POR RICARDO GAITÁN ANALISTA DE MARCA D uring the World Cup, FIFA’s commercial ecosystem rea- ches its peak: official sponsors and advertising brands implement global strategies for brand positio- ning, regional presence, and engage- ment with diverse audiences through stadiums, the media, and digital pla- tforms. By 2026, record investment in brand activations is expected, dri- ven by the tournament being held in three markets of enormous impor- tance to the sports industry: the Uni- ted States, Mexico, and Canada. The commercial structure combi- nes global partners with broad image rights, official tournament sponsors, and regional partners that comple- ment the brands’ presence across di- fferent layers of the event. Advertising Tool It is in this context that “opportunity marketing” emerges—an unconven- tional practice that FIFA has been combating for decades, and one that starkly reveals how the attention eco- nomy works today. The persistence of this advertising The World Cup and Opportunity Marketing tool demonstrates that, when visibili- ty is worth millions, there will always be brands willing to get a piece of the pie, without paying. The opportunity marketing strate- gy consists of creating an association with the event through parallel cam- paigns, a presence in nearby settings, themed messages, and high-impact actions that capitalize on public en- thusiasm, without crossing the boun- daries of established sponsorship. Events such as the World Cup, the Olympics, the Tour de France, and Formula 1, among others, drive up sales not only of sporting goods and mass-market consumer products like beverages and food but also of travel agencies, transportation services, te- levision broadcasts, stadium admis- sions, and more. Significant Profits The goal is not only to gain visibility by capitalizing on an already enga- ged audience but also to generate fi- nancial profits. One of the most frequently cited examples is Nike’s campaign during the 2012 Olympic Games. Although the German brand Adidas was the offi- cial sponsor, Nike launched the “Find Your Greatness” campaign without using the event’s official symbols. The American company mana- ged to insert itself into the global conversation and compete with the official sponsor for media attention. That episode encapsulates the logic of opportunity marketing: it doesn’t need to invade the event to affect the symbolic and commercial value of those who paid to be there. Opportunity marketing has be- come increasingly sophisticated as sponsorship globalizes and techno- logy expands the range of exposure channels. The Consequences Today, any brand can establish a pre- sence at a World Cup event throu- gh social media, urban activations, athlete sponsorships, or audiovisual campaigns designed to evoke any event without mentioning it directly. In this scenario, opportunistic marketing is the logical consequence of an ecosystem in which the atten- tion economy is the top prize and the boundaries between what is official and what is implied are increasingly blurred. The fundamental question is no lon- ger how to curb the phenomenon, but rather to what extent the very business model of mega-events—with the astro- nomical fees they charge brands to be official sponsors—has created the con- ditions for it to thrive. • ADVICE