Footballco, a leading name in sports marketing, has been appointed by Kia to deliver its campaign for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026. The campaign titled "The 49th Team" is set to include a wide range of original assets and adaptations, culminating in a feature film.
Footballco is taking charge of the entire campaign strategy, creative development, end-to-end production and talent management. The content will be distributed via Footballco’s Goal and Koora brands. This strategic move ensures that all aspects of the campaign are streamlined under one roof for maximum impact.
The content will be available in host nations - the US, Mexico, and Canada - as well as Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Saudi Arabia Australia Spain and the UK. This global reach aims to engage football fans from different parts of the world with engaging content around their favourite sport.
Kickstarting with teaser films
The campaign was launched last week with a teaser film starring French football icon and World Cup winner Thierry Henry. Released alongside the official FIFA World Cup Final Draw on December 5th; this film saw Henry staging his own unique version of a World Cup-style draw but with an unexpected twist.
In line with visual cues from the official draw event; this short film concludes with Henry unveiling 'The 49th Team' on a slip inside the final ball drawn. This symbolises an additional team beyond those officially participating in the tournament – it celebrates inspirational stories and abilities of Official Match Ball Carriers at every match during previous tournaments.
A secondary teaser followed this initial release featuring Henry addressing rumours about him possibly leading this new team at the upcoming tournament – adding intrigue to what lies ahead in future releases from this exciting campaign.
What's next?
Future content from the campaign promises to feature other football legends, cultural influencers and entertainment talent. This strategy aims to blend the worlds of sports, culture and entertainment – providing a unique perspective on the World Cup for fans worldwide.
Nick Livingstone, Footballco vice president of APAC, said:
“Kia has been a committed partner of the FIFA World Cup for many years, and they understand better than anyone how uniquely powerful this tournament is in inspiring and connecting fans. This partnership reflects the confidence in Footballco’s ability to deliver a campaign of this scale, and to bring together our full suite of capabilities from creative development and production to talent management and media distribution.”
“Footballco has a long history of helping global brands stand out on the world’s biggest football stages, and we know how competitive the World Cup landscape can be. That’s why we’re proud to collaborate with Kia on The 49th Team, and we’re looking forward to unveiling each phase of the campaign as we build towards the tournament next summer.”
Footballco's comprehensive approach to Kia's World Cup 2026 campaign is set to provide an engaging narrative that goes beyond traditional sports marketing. By incorporating elements of storytelling and celebrity involvement, this campaign is poised to capture the attention of both sports fans and betting enthusiasts alike.
