A Fanatics advertisement on the secondary scoreboard during the NWSL match between Houston Dash and Washington Spirit at Shell Energy Stadium on March 14, 2025 in Houston, Texas.
Aaron M. Sprecher | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
Fanatics has reached an agreement to manage retail and merchandising for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the company announced Thursday.
The global competition will see 104 matches played across 16 stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
“There is no bigger sporting event in the world than the World Cup… we’ve done a lot of events; this is the biggest we’ve ever done,” said Andrew Low Ah Kee, CEO of Fanatics Commerce, the manufacturing and retail arm of the company.
In recent years, Fanatics has overseen retail operations at international sporting events such as MLB’s Tokyo Series, the NFL’s international slate, the NHL’s Four Nations tournament and UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. Fanatics was also the marketing partner for the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States last summer.
As part of its deal with FIFA for the 2026 tournament, Fanatics will oversee retail operations at the 16 venues, which are mostly NFL stadiums that can accommodate more than 60,000 spectators.
It will also have retail operations in the parking lot of each stadium, as well as a commercial presence in each of the FIFA Fan Festival venues across the host cities. In total, Fanatics predicts there will be more than 2,000 outlets during the tournament.
“In terms of logistical complexity, it is very real, but I am confident in our preparation,” Low Ah Kee said, adding that Fanatics is already present in all the venues where the tournament will take place.
While the length of the tournament – 39 days, to accommodate a larger number of 48 nations – could present another level of complexity compared to one-off events or shorter tournaments, Low Ah Kee said the company aims to build on the momentum created at a World Cup, capitalizing on the matchups and moments that arise to create quick-hit products and other limited merchandise.
Fanatics has expanded its soccer-focused retail operations in recent years and partners with MLS, a quarter of Premier League clubs and several of the world’s biggest club teams like PSG, Inter Milan and Juventus. It is also the partner of several national teams which will be competing, such as Argentina, England, France, Belgium and Germany.
Low Ah Kee said existing relationships with Fanatics have helped the company better understand football fans. That means more fashion-forward products and, in particular, more scarves, Low Ah Kee said.
Fanatics is already in discussions with partners, manufacturers, brands and suppliers to ensure product remains well-stocked for what it expects to be an unprecedented sports retail moment.
“We think it could be a multiple of the biggest events we have held historically,” Low Ah Kee said, declining to share specific numbers.
Fanatics’ hosting of the 2026 World Cup will also pave the way for another high-profile project: the company will oversee retail operations for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
Disclosure: NBCUniversal, parent company of CNBC, owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics is the U.S. broadcast rights holder for all Summer and Winter Games through 2036. Versant would become the new parent company of CNBC following Comcast’s planned spinoff of Versant.