Frito-Lay inks 2022 World Cup sponsorship deal

PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay has signed on as a North American sponsor for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The food giant says the association with the premier soccer tournament-of-nations will get its snack brands and other foods in front of a diverse global audience—including a rapidly growing one in the U.S., which is preparing for its turn to play World Cup host in 2026. 

The deal, announced during a press event today in New York, represents the first-ever salty snack brand collaboration in FIFA and its signature World Cup event, the brand said in a press release. This year’s tournament, to be played in Qatar, is scheduled to get underway in November. Although the deal announced today covers the 2022 event and not 2026, the latter is already expected to be a major marketing event, and is scheduled to take place at separate cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico that FIFA separately announced this week. 

In addition to the use of FIFA’s trademarks, exposure at the event, and access to tickets, the agreement covers what Frito-Lay called “exciting digital activations and entertaining promotional activities,” with the goal of reaching more than 100 million U.S. households with FIFA-branded products.

“We are thrilled to announce our strategic collaboration with FIFA, a brand that means so much to fans globally,” Steven Williams, CEO, Frito-Lay and Quaker North America, said in a statement. “Soccer has over four billion fans across the world and continues to grow in the US, so we feel this is a great time to build a strategic partnership together and ensure our products are always available every time a match is on TV or at a community’s local stadium.”

The Qatar World Cup, which has also drawn an official World Cup sponsorship from the crypto exchange firm Crypto.com, has come under intense scrutiny for issues associated with its host country including alleged human rights abuses associated with migrant workers building its venues, laws against homosexuality, and questions about the bidding process that ultimately awarded the event to Qatar. And while some entities are making a point to steer clear of the event, a Morning Consult poll published earlier this year indicated 41% of U.S. soccer fans said they support companies sponsoring the World Cup in Qatar, while 19% said they do not.

A wide range of Frito-Lay brands are included in the sponsorship, such as Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Tostitos, Ruffles and Sabritas salty and savory snacks, along with Quaker hot breakfast cereals, cereal bars, and rice snacks and Gamesa cookies and crackers.

“The growth in interest in football, or soccer, in the North American market is incredibly exciting, both for our overall vision of making football truly global and for future commercial growth potential,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a press release. “We are thrilled to welcome a brand aligned with our values related to community engagement, and one that shares our excitement for what lies ahead for the world’s most popular sport.”

Frito-Lay and FIFA cited shared values and a similar history: Both were established in the early 1930s—the World Cup in 1930; Frito-Lay in 1932. Frito-Lay also “shares FIFA’s commitment to engaging fans, developing sports opportunities for players—regardless of their background or ability—building communities around sports and promoting an active lifestyle,” the company stated.