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Budweiser and Michelob Ultra are set to take a starring role at the 2025 Club World Cup, as FIFA and Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) expand their almost 40-year partnership to include sponsorship of the new tournament.
Scheduled for June 2025 ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, of which AB InBev is also a partner, the competition will take place across 11 U.S. cities, gathering 32 teams from six global soccer confederations including Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Originally founded in 2000, the Club World Cup is a new take on an old format. The previous edition saw the six reigning European champions compete in a knockout tournament. In its place is an expanded 32-team competition including a knock-out and group stage.
With less than eight months until kick-off, though, no broadcast deals have been announced.
Per SportsPro, Apple was reportedly in line for the exclusive $4 billion broadcast rights for the 2025 and 2029 renditions of the tournament. However, after talks stalled, FIFA opened up bidding in July.
FIFA’s longest-standing World Cup backers, Coca-Cola and Adidas, have existing deals through the 2030 flagship event. However, neither has announced separate financial backing for the Club World Cup.
Only one other sponsor, Chinese electronics firm Hisense, has thrown its hat into the ring publicly.
For AB InBev, its “megabrands,” Budweiser and Michelob Ultra, will lead the partnership, complemented with local brands in select markets. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
As part of the multi-faceted agreement, AB InBev will create brand experiences across participating countries, deliver the ‘Player of the Match Award’ and amplify moments from across the tournament.
“Our brands are at the heart of meaningful cultural moments and iconic sporting events,” said AB InBev chief executive (CEO), Michel Doukeris. “This partnership with the FIFA Club World Cup continues our legacy of bringing beer and sports together for fans around the world, creating more moments of celebration and cheers.”
Ab InBev’s deal with the Club World Cup follows its extended sponsorship of the women’s World Cup in 2023 and a commitment to sponsor the 2026 men’s tournament, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Candada, and Mexico.
Soccer fans might remember when, two days before the FIFA 2022 World Cup kicked off in Qatar, pressure from government officials led to the ban of beer sales around the stadium’s perimeter.
“Well this is awkward,” stated sponsor Budweiser’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, before swiftly deleting the post.
Though its marketing team was blindsided, with help from agency Wieden + Kennedy, the AB InBev-owned brand quickly pivoted to tongue-in-cheek marketing to navigate the ban, delivering a Cannes Lions-winning push to “Bring Home the Bud” back to the U.S.
In early November, over 18 months after a boycott of its Bud Light brand hit sales hard, AB InBev revealed it had turned a financial corner.
How the Bud Light Boycott Changed Marketing
In Apr. 2023, the brand lost its position as America’s number-one beer following controversy over a campaign with transgender influencer Dyan Mulvaney and the subsequent fallout from customers on the right and left of the political spectrum.
The impact was a reverse halo effect on Budweiser’s brand perception, which hit a downward trajectory as sales of sister brand Bud Light slid.
However, in its most recent earnings call, the Belgium-based brewer recorded revenues of $15.57 billion, up from $15.04 billion versus the same period in 2023. The business credited stabilization in the U.S. market for the shift.
Rebecca is Adweek’s Europe brand editor.
Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem.
