Brand Battle: Ambush Marketing and World Cup Sponsor Rights

By Brandon G. Smith, Megan C. Kilduff, and Will B. Scoville, of Morgan Lewis The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be remembered for what happens on the pitch, but the tournament has also become a showcase for another kind of competition: the race for brand visibility around one of the world’s largest and most popular sporting events. Official sponsors pay significant sums for the exclusive right to formally associate themselves with the World Cup. FIFA, as the tournament organizer, works aggressively