LONDON: Soccer fans arriving in North America for the 2026 World Cup have been promised help with their cell phone coverage from Verizon as part of a sponsorship deal with FIFA announced Tuesday. The New York-based technology provider said FIFA expects three million international visitors to the United States, Canada and Mexico for the 48-team tournament from June 11 to July 19, 2026. “We will be handing out phones with a 'soft SIM' to those arriving seamlessly,” Verizon Chief Executive Hans Vestberg said in an online interview. “You don't need a hard SIM card.”
Vestberg said fans should also expect faster data service in World Cup stadiums, tailgate areas and fan zones. The 104 games will be played in 16 cities, including 11 stadiums in the U.S. where Verizon works with an NFL franchise. “We're basically already in all the stadiums,” he said. “We'll make sure all fans have the best experience in the stadium.” The value of the deal, which covers the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil, was not disclosed. Sponsorships with FIFA for a four-year World Cup cycle typically run into the nine figures.
FIFA has conservatively budgeted to earn $2.7 billion in marketing deals for all of its tournaments from 2023-26 on a total revenue of more than $11 billion, and Verizon is the seventh sponsor in the second-tier category for the next men's World Cup. FIFA has six top-tier commercial partners so far for the 2026 edition, including Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company Aramco. FIFA's deal with Verizon, which also does business with the NBA and NHL, was about essential tournament services, Vestberg said, “rather than just sticking our brand somewhere. We're not doing that.”
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