The Youth Lab
PRICED OUT. NOT SHUT OUT. ⚽
How fans and brands are creating new ways into the World Cup
Now with the first World Cup whistle blown, this week’s 52INSIGHTS revisits our previous post on the tournament’s commercialisation at the expense of mass participation. We’re taking a pulse check on all the controversy to date as well as how standout brand, individual and community moves are taking football’s top tournament back.
THE PULSE CHECK: Backlash Rages On
The last World Cup shattered records, generating over five billion engagements and 2.2 billion social interactions, while the final alone reached an estimated 1.42 billion viewers worldwide.
This 2026 tournament was expected to push those numbers even higher with the expansion to 48 teams, 104 matches spanning the US, Canada and Mexico.
Yet months out, anticipation for the biggest, arguably most accessible Cup ever, quickly descended into frustration as FIFA and host country controversies left fans fuming and feeling shut out.
Thousands of empty seats
Dynamic pricing that yielded tickets 3x-10x more expensive than the previous Cup have resulted in thousands of empty stadium seats. The lesson? Sales practices which focus on profit alone not only hurt fans but also the authorities holding the reins.
The ripple effect of ripping fans off
The dynamic pricing downfall has also prompted Attorney Generals in New York, New Jersey to launch investigations. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton followed suit stating, “Sports have a unique power to bring people together, and FIFA must understand that Texans take their competition - and their consumer rights - seriously."
Referee ban fuels exclusivity fire
Not only have fans been shut out by travel restrictions, recent news of Somalia’s premier referee Omar Artan being denied entry to the United States drove global coverage. One pundit called the tournament the "World Cup of chaos.” Upon return home, locals and officials demonstrated their steadfast support for Artan - giving him a "hero’s welcome."
A forum for not just global sport, but global issues
From immigration debates, to economic exploitation, to political conflict, and predictions that this could be the hottest, most polluting games on record, the Word Cup discourse is transcending the event itself. Monoculture moments like this are becoming a shared lens through which to see and discuss the world’s biggest challenge and how they intersect.
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Brand Takeouts
As the World Cup becomes harder to access in its traditional form, its cultural power is increasingly being rebuilt elsewhere.
Access is a brand experience: Helping fans get in, or feel in, is fast becoming more valuable than traditional visibility, attention-grabs or sponsorships.
Culture beats proximity: Some of most effective activations happen outside the event itself, where everyday rituals and fandom intersect.
Control is shifting to communities: Fans and creators are no longer just audiences; they are increasingly the influencers, recruiters, distributors and vibe-setters for the tournament itself.
For brands, the biggest World Cup opportunity isn't owning attention. It's helping more people reshape what "being a part of it" actually means.