World Cup fans bombarded with 65,000 junk food ads during matches

During the 2026 World Cup, which took place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, television viewers watching the tournament's 104 matches were exposed to a relentless stream of advertisements for unhealthy food and drinks. Researchers at the University of Bristol and University of Oxford used artificial intelligence to track every visible logo and product placement on pitchside boards and stadium signage during live play on the international broadcast feed. What they found was striking: junk food and beverage brands—defined by the UK government as products high in fat, salt, or sugar—appeared 65,722 times across the tournament. Those advertisements were visible for a combined 28.1 hours, representing just over 16 percent of all match time.

The scale of exposure was consistent throughout the competition. On average, each of the 104 matches contained approximately 576 visible advertisements for unhealthy food and drinks. Four brands dominated the landscape: Coca-Cola led with 21,893 appearances, followed by McDonald's with 13,915, Powerade with 12,777, and Lay's crisps with 12,087. All four are official FIFA partners, and Powerade is owned by the Coca-Cola Company. The advertisements appeared only during live play on the international feed—the version broadcast to every country with World Cup coverage—and did not include pre-match coverage, halftime commercial breaks, or the in-match hydration breaks that have drawn their own scrutiny.

When researchers compared junk food advertising to other forms of potentially harmful marketing, the disparity became even more pronounced. Logos for unhealthy food and drinks appeared roughly seven times more frequently than those for alcohol and prediction market brands, ten times more often than gambling firms, and nearly twenty-five times more often than cryptocurrency. The sheer volume raised concerns among public health experts about the normalization of these brands among viewers, particularly children. Researchers argue that repeatedly connecting unhealthy food and drink products with football, excitement, and national identity makes these brands feel familiar and acceptable, shaping consumption patterns before children develop critical judgment about marketing.

The findings highlight a significant regulatory gap. Since October 2025, the United Kingdom has banned advertisements for junk food on television before 9 p.m., a restriction designed to limit children's exposure during peak viewing hours. However, because the World Cup advertisements appeared on physical boards at an international sporting event rather than through traditional broadcast commercials, they fell outside the scope of that legislation. Viewers in the UK could see advertisements for burgers, crisps, and sugary drinks during hours when such ads are theoretically prohibited on domestic television. Greg Fell, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, called this a clear loophole and emphasized that addressing the problem requires worldwide collaboration. He noted that governments around the globe are actively legislating to restrict junk food advertising, and that obesity has become comparable to tobacco as a public health crisis—with similar marketing tactics targeting children to expand future markets.

The timing of the research coincides with broader efforts to address childhood obesity in the UK. The government recently announced sweeping changes to school dinner rules, banning deep-fried foods and mandating increased inclusion of fruits, vegetables, fiber, and whole grains. According to NHS data from 2024, fifteen percent of children in the UK are obese, and twenty-six percent are overweight. Dr. Elisa Becker, one of the study's co-authors, framed the World Cup findings as a contradiction at the heart of global sports marketing. "Sport should be part of the solution to poor health," she said, "not one of the world's most powerful advertising platforms for the products driving it."

FIFA responded to the study by arguing that the vast majority of its revenue is reinvested into football, including projects promoting health and wellbeing that reach thousands of people. A FIFA spokesperson stated that the organization works with a broad portfolio of partners subject to governance and compliance frameworks, and highlighted the "Be Active" social impact campaign, which delivered messages of unity, inclusion, health, and friendship throughout the tournament. When BBC Sport contacted Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and PepsiCo—which owns Lay's—for comment, none of the companies responded. The study raises an unresolved question about whether international sporting events will face the same advertising restrictions that now apply to domestic broadcasts, or whether the current loophole will persist as obesity rates continue to climb globally.