How Soccer’s Growth in the U.S. Is Reshaping Consumer Marketing Strategies

For the second summer in a row, the United States has become soccer’s global stage. Following a successful Copa América 2024, which drew more than 1.6 million fans, the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup has carried that momentum forward, drawing strong crowds from across the world to all corners of the country.

With the final match between Chelsea and PSG still ahead, the month-long tournament has already drawn more than 2 million attendees. Its success is setting the tone for next summer, when North America will host its first FIFA Men’s World Cup since 1994.

For Ricardo Marques, senior vice president of marketing at Michelob ULTRA, one of FIFA’s main sponsors, this summer has marked a major turning point.

“Soccer has been on a rocket ship,” Marques told The Latin Times in an exclusive interview. “Fandom for the sport has grown exponentially over the last few years, and today we have 80 million soccer fans just in the U.S.”

That surge in interest, he said, is one of the key reasons why the brand decided to deepen its relationship with FIFA and the sport overall.

“You could say the brand has grown hand in hand with the sport,” he said. “It accelerated tremendously over the last three years thanks to Copa América and now the FIFA Club World Cup. We saw it as an opportunity to connect with a new audience.”

One of Michelob’s main initiatives this summer was the Pitchside Club, an immersive experience in New York City that gave fans a unique way to engage with the tournament. The space featured the FIFA Club World Cup trophy, match-worn jerseys from FIFA’s museum in Zurich, and other interactive displays.

And while event spaces help generate buzz, nothing moves the needle like a global icon. Last year, Michelob partnered with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi as a brand ambassador following his high-profile move to Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami.

“Having Lionel Messi as part of the brand is the No. 1 passion point for our Latino consumer,” Marques said. “With this amazing partnership with Messi, we’re showing that we’re serious about connecting with that audience.”

Marques went on to emphasize the Latino community’s role in soccer’s rise across the U.S.

“We saw it with Copa América, and we’re seeing it again with the Club World Cup,” he said. “But I think the biggest wave is still coming. We’re about to have three unique moments in a row: Copa América, the Club World Cup and then the FIFA World Cup. It’s giving fans not just the chance to watch their countries and teams on a global stage, but also to showcase their passion here at home.”

That kind of momentum is being closely watched by others across the industry. A recent study by For Soccer, titled the 2025 U.S. Soccer Fan Report, outlines how brand engagement is poised to reach new highs at next year’s tournament, which is projected to generate up to $40.9 billion.

“Every World Cup sparks a surge in brand interest, and with the 2026 tournament on home soil, we expect unprecedented levels of engagement,” said John Guppy, president of Growth Enterprises at For Soccer in the report. “But to win the crowd, you must first understand the soccer core. We encourage brands to craft campaigns that unlock mainstream reach through insights that are both creative and culturally grounded in the game.”

“The brands that win in 2026 will see this not just as a media moment, but as a soccer-driven cultural movement,” Guppy added.

For Marques, bringing his own passion for soccer into his work is part of what makes Michelob’s efforts resonate.

“Everything we do, we want it to be and feel authentic,” he said. “Soccer is one of my passions, and I bring that into the work. You see it in everything we do, especially in spaces like the Pitchside Club. From day one, we said: let’s create the best place to watch a match outside the stadium. But it has to feel real. We’re bringing together a lot of different elements to make the experience as immersive as it can be.”