Sports sponsorship has always been a powerful marketing tool, but digital media has fundamentally transformed its reach. Using Canary, Vital Strategies' real-time digital media monitoring system, researchers tracked Coca-Cola-linked posts across social media accounts in Brazil, Mexico and the United States during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Our new report, “From Stadiums to Screens: Coca-Cola's Sportswashing at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup,” provides an analysis of how Coca-Cola's branding was captured and amplified across social media during this tournament. 

Researchers found that 795 posts identified by Canary generated an estimated 3.6 billion impressions, highlighting the reach of FIFA sponsorship. Coca-Cola branding was amplified primarily through sports accounts, broadcasters and streaming platforms resharing match footage that captured brand logos embedded in the frame. Amplification extended beyond live coverage: Immersive fan zones generated shareable content, and youth-oriented content circulated Coca-Cola's branding across social media platforms. Every highlight reel functioned as advertising, with clips circulating online indefinitely.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup projected to be the most-watched sporting event in history, governments, sports governing bodies and public health advocates must act now to protect people, including children and adolescents, from sweetened beverage marketing.