On “planning to make a plan” for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | American Soccer, Explained
Ever since we relaunched Short Corner Media about six months ago, we’ve had myriad conversations with clubs, leagues, media companies, executives, brands, etc., about their plans for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
We've heard similar things from most people:
This World Cup is going to be one of the biggest sporting events ever.
The moment will be rocket fuel for the fast-growing American soccer industry, bringing more people into the soccer community.
Fans from all over the world will travel to our country to experience the World Cup.
This is an unprecedented marketing opportunity for brands to tap into a passionate and engaged audience.
But here’s the thing. When we ask what they have planned and whether there’s an opportunity for Short Corner to help, we have hear something along these lines: “We have a plan to make a plan.”
It’s remarkable, actually, though not surprising. The 2026 World Cup is 440 days away, as of today, and ideally, people would have been planning for a while now. Months, even years.
But these aren’t ideal times. There’s a lot of uncertainty in our world. And the sports marketing industry has a long history of last-minute planning. Internal staffs are stretched thin, and the thought of developing plans for an event more than a year away seems like a luxury.
Meanwhile, many agencies of record don’t have the authentic soccer chops to leverage the moment. That's not a knock on them. It makes sense, actually. The American soccer landscape is complex and layered. It has multiple, overlapping communities and cultures that can seem similar but actually have some striking differences.
Beyond the domestic scene, the World Cup will see a wide spectrum of people come here from other countries, bringing with them their own soccer cultures and their own expectations of what an authentic soccer experience is.
It’s a lot to navigate. The World Cup will be the moment when soccer is everywhere in the United States, and brands big and small, from all over the world, will be competing for fans’ attention. Telling your story the right way will be more important than ever if you have any hope of breaking through.
So if you’re a brand ready to actually plan for the World Cup, find someone to help you. Connect with soccer experts who know the culture of the game. Who work in it and live it every day.
Obviously, I think Short Corner is a great option. We have decades of experience immersed in the game and its culture. We’ve worked with prominent soccer properties like MLS, U.S. Soccer, Men in Blazers, and the USL. We’ve created content for commercial brands like Adidas, Fox Sports, and Heineken, among others. We’re currently helping up-and-coming properties like OKC For Soccer build their brand and engage their fan base. And we are supporting cultural brands like Kicking and Screening Soccer Film Festival raise their level.
We’re not the only ones. This is a golden age of independent American soccer marketing and creative agencies, including Name & Number, SKYLARK, Where Is Football, CLUBELEVEN, For Soccer , and starting eleven, to name a few. They all do great work, are very much in the game, and know how to authentically engage soccer fans.
Find us. Talk to us. Hire us.
Because the 2026 World Cup is poised to be the greatest sporting event of all time. You don't want to miss out.