The World Cup may be football's biggest stage, but these brands had other stories to tell

The FIFA World Cup may be decided on the pitch, but some of its most memorable moments happen far away from the stadium.

Every four years, the tournament inspires stories of hope, pride, friendship and belonging that resonate far beyond football fans. It is little surprise then that brands have increasingly turned to storytelling to connect with audiences, using the World Cup as a backdrop to explore everything from family and community to ambition and national identity.

Here are seven brands proving the World Cup is about more than football.

Don't miss: Why the World Cup’s biggest screen may no longer be the only one that matters

1. adidas

What if football's greatest legends never started in stadiums at all? That is the premise behind adidas' "Backyard legends", a five-minute film that turns neighbourhood kickabouts into the stuff of mythology. Fronted by Timothée Chalamet, the story follows a fictional quest to take on an undefeated local trio whose reputation has outlasted generations of challengers.

Along the way, football icons including Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and rising stars such as Lamine Yamal appear in a story that celebrates the joy, creativity and freedom of playing the game. Rather than focusing on trophies or results, the film positions football's most meaningful moments as those that happen long before the bright lights and global stage.

Read more here. 

2. CLEAR Men

While most World Cup campaigns focus on the players, CLEAR Men chose to tell the story of the fans. Its "Make your World Cup legendary" campaign shines a spotlight on the rituals, superstitions and emotions that define football fandom, celebrating the lengths supporters go to in backing their teams.

Created by Ogilvy Singapore, the campaign film captures moments familiar to football fans everywhere, from lucky pre-match routines and face painting sessions to late-night viewing marathons. By shifting the focus from the action on the pitch to the experiences in living rooms, bars and watch parties around the world, CLEAR Men positions fans as an integral part of the World Cup story.

Read more here. 

3. Coca-Cola

A single VAR decision can trigger relief, heartbreak, joy or despair in a matter of seconds, and Coca-Cola built an entire film around that emotional rollercoaster. The brand's "No better feeling" campaign uses the tension of a match-defining review to explore the highs and lows that football fans experience throughout the World Cup, capturing how quickly emotions can swing during a game.

The film serves as the final chapter in Coca-Cola's three-part "Feel it all" platform, which began with "Bubbling up" and continued with "Uncanned emotions", both charting the growing anticipation ahead of the tournament. Featuring figures such as José Mourinho and J Balvin alongside everyday supporters, the campaign positions football as a shared emotional experience, placing fans and their feelings at the heart of the World Cup story.

Read more here. 

4. Guinness 

Football may be decided on the pitch, but Guinness' "The World's cup" campaign is more interested in what happens around it. Drawing inspiration from the brand's iconic 1990 World Cup advertising and reworking its more recent "Singing Pints" creative, the campaign celebrates the pubs, rituals and shared traditions that turn match days into communal experiences.

At the heart of the campaign is the idea that football has a unique ability to bring people together, whether in neighbourhood pubs, living rooms or packed bars full of strangers. Through films, limited-edition merchandise and stories spotlighting bartenders and pub staff, Guinness shifts the focus away from the players and onto the communities that help make the World Cup experience memorable.

Read more here. 

5. Hyundai

Who gets to represent the future of football? Hyundai explored that question in its "Next starts now" campaign, a film that follows a group of emerging players as they chase their ambitions alongside football star Son Heung-min.

Rather than focusing on established champions, the story shines a light on the next generation of talent, challenging traditional ideas of who football's future belongs to. The film culminates with an unexpected appearance from Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot, reinforcing Hyundai's broader message that the future, whether in sport or technology, begins today.

Read more here. 

6. Monks Film

Not every World Cup story is told through goals and match highlights. With Chasing the Dream, Monks Film and New Element Media are taking a more intimate approach, producing a feature-length documentary for Disney+ that explores the human stories behind FIFA World Cup 2026.

Backed by FIFA, the documentary adopts a "heart-first" storytelling lens, focusing on the emotions, ambitions and personal journeys surrounding the tournament. By looking beyond the action on the pitch, Chasing the Dream aims to capture why the World Cup matters to people around the world and the connections it creates across cultures and communities.

Read more here. 

7. Nike 

A Hollywood film set is an unlikely place to find the future of football, but that is where Nike's "Rip the script" campaign begins. The six-minute film follows a group of football stars who abandon the director's instructions and take control of the story themselves, turning a scripted production into a celebration of creativity and freedom.

Featuring Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vinícius Júnior and Cristiano Ronaldo, the campaign positions football as a form of self-expression rather than a game bound by rules, using the World Cup stage to champion individuality and imagination.

Read more here. 

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