【Tide Business Review/Text】

To ensure he doesn't miss a single moment of the World Cup, 28-year-old Chen Xiao has set five alarms.

As a devoted fan of Messi, he has followed the legendary player's journey from a long-haired teenager in 2006 to the bearded football king of today.

Perhaps, at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, Messi and Ronaldo will take their final bows together, marking the end of an era for a generation's youth.

At this grand event, Chinese brands are also gearing up, ready to invest heavily in marketing.

Hisense has sponsored three consecutive World Cups. Lenovo has become a FIFA technology partner for the first time. Xiaohongshu has secured omni-media broadcasting rights. Geely Galaxy is sponsoring CCTV's World Cup broadcast. Rokid has partnered with CCTV for exclusive AI glasses at top events. Meanwhile, Cotti, Luckin, Wuliangye, and Milkground have joined through various co-branding and regional collaborations...

From top global partners to regional sponsors, from official technology suppliers to new media broadcasters, and from tech and home appliances to food, beverages, and dairy products, Chinese brands are omnipresent across the 2026 World Cup's commercial landscape.

The question is: have Chinese brands calculated the returns from the World Cup?

This question has been repeatedly asked since 2010 when the four Chinese characters 'Yingli Solar' first appeared on the World Cup pitch in South Africa.

Over a decade later, what fresh approaches have Chinese brands brought to World Cup marketing? Does the myth of achieving significant results with relatively small investments hold true? Is it really worth the gamble?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico is destined to be a historic event.

Firstly, it is the 'most expensive' edition: FIFA expects over $6 billion in media and sponsorship revenue, with total revenue for 2026 alone projected at $8.9 billion, and $13 billion for the entire 2023-2026 cycle, nearly doubling the previous period.

Secondly, it is the 'longest' edition: spanning 39 days from the opening match on June 11 to the final on July 19, with 104 games, setting a record for World Cup schedule density.

Additionally, it is the 'largest' edition, jointly hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico for the first time, featuring 48 teams across 16 cities, spreading the football extravaganza across North America.

More importantly, it could be the 'Twilight of the Gods' for legends like Messi and Ronaldo, who have dominated football for two decades and are likely to conclude their World Cup careers.

As global attention focuses here, Chinese brands have, as always, chosen to collectively bet big.

On one side are the fading legends on the pitch; on the other, are the ambitious newcomers in the business arena. The 'Twilight of the Gods' and the 'Battle of the Gods' unfold at the 2026 World Cup.

So, what is the logic behind Chinese brands sponsoring the World Cup this year? Can they expect satisfactory returns?

Before answering, let's examine the seating order and stakes at the table.

The World Cup's sponsorship structure remains a classic three-tier system, with Chinese brands playing pivotal roles.

At the pinnacle, the 'FIFA Partners' level, Lenovo's entry is a landmark event.

As the first Chinese tech giant to become an official FIFA technology partner, Lenovo fills the void in top-tier sponsorships for tech hardware, partnering with FIFA for the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Women's World Cup.

In terms of collaboration, Lenovo provides hardware like AI PCs and servers, along with computing solutions, representing a dual output of B-end technical prowess and C-end global brand image.

Meanwhile, Hisense stands as the most steadfast and exemplary force in Chinese brands' global expansion.

From sponsoring the 2016 UEFA Euro to the 2018 Russia World Cup, 2020 UEFA Euro, 2022 Qatar World Cup, 2024 UEFA Euro, and now the 2026 World Cup, Hisense has continuously sponsored top football events. Within FIFA's sponsorship hierarchy, Hisense firmly occupies the 'World Cup Official Sponsor' tier and becomes the official partner for VAR display technology at the 2026 World Cup, with its RGB-MiniLED TVs installed in the video referee center, providing high-definition visual support for the VAR team.

Tangible investments have yielded concrete growth.

According to Hisense Group's official data, overseas revenue surged from 23.4 billion yuan in 2016 to 110.7 billion yuan in 2025, nearly quintupling in nine years.

More intriguing is the influx of regional sponsors and new players.

Xiaohongshu's entry has sparked the most discussion.

This community platform, known for female users and lifestyle content, has secured World Cup broadcasting rights and related collaborations. Outsiders wonder: Why would a representative of the 'she-economy' invest heavily in a traditionally male-dominated event?

This is Xiaohongshu's ambitious move to 'break out of its circle.' Through the World Cup, it aims to shed its single-label image and transform into a comprehensive community encompassing sports, tech, automotive, outdoor, and other diverse interests, establishing a 'presence' in the minds of male users and broader audiences.

Xiaohongshu is betting that the boundaries of content communities can be infinitely expanded.

On the other side, Cotti Coffee and Milkground have also stepped onto the stage as regional sponsors.

Cotti, as a challenger to Luckin, follows the latter's strategy of rapidly building brand recognition through high-profile IPs, attempting to shape a 'global brand' image on the world stage. Milkground's entry reflects Chinese food brands' deep exploration of family consumption scenarios and overseas expansion attempts.

Why are so many brands willing to pay hefty 'entry fees'?

FIFA's financial reports offer the most direct answer.

Despite being a non-profit organization, FIFA operates like a precision money-printing machine. For the 2023-2026 cycle, FIFA's budgeted revenue reaches $11 billion, with TV broadcasting rights and marketing rights as the primary pillars.

Even if individual second-tier sponsors pay tens of millions annually, facing billions of global viewers, this remains considered an 'efficient' brand exposure.

The World Cup is highly profitable, necessitating significant brand investments.

Chinese brands' collective entry into the World Cup arena is driven not by vanity but by tangible commercial returns.

Reviewing over a decade of sponsorship history from Yingli to Hisense, Mengniu, and Vivo, data clearly shows a mix of gains and losses for brands.

The most tangible return in globalization is the exponential rise in brand awareness, with Hisense being the biggest winner.

Before its first UEFA Euro sponsorship in 2016, Hisense's brand presence in major Western markets was still building momentum. However, by continuously aligning with top football IPs, Hisense swiftly evolved from an 'industry challenger' to a 'globally recognized brand.'

According to Ipsos, from 2016 to 2025, through consecutive sponsorships of the Euro and World Cup, Hisense's overseas brand awareness surged to 58%, significantly boosting its influence.

In just six years, Hisense accomplished a global recognition journey that traditional brands might take decades to achieve through conventional channels.

During this period, alongside sponsoring top events, Hisense's tech R&D investments were equally forward-looking.

Hisense is among the few TV manufacturers worldwide possessing three core display technology systems: ULED ultra-high-definition technology, laser display technology, and self-developed image quality chips.

Take RGB display technology as an example: Hisense is the global pioneer in overcoming industrialization challenges for RGB three-color light sources, achieving full-chain leadership from technical breakthroughs to mass production, marking a key reversal against Japanese and Korean brands.

These tech foundations underpin Hisense's top-tier event marketing.

Next is the endorsement as a 'trust badge.'

Global consumers, especially in emerging markets, inherently distrust unfamiliar foreign brands.

The FIFA World Cup Official Sponsor status serves as a powerful 'trust badge' and 'quality certification.'

For tech brands like Lenovo, this endorsement is crucial when entering strictly regulated and discerning markets like Europe and Latin America, effectively reducing communication costs and market entry barriers.

However, the 'black box' of conversion rates persists.

How many will purchase a brand after seeing a pitch-side ad?

Precisely calculating ROI remains an eternal challenge in brand marketing. Unlike performance ads with immediate, measurable outcomes, World Cup sponsorships lean toward brand advertising, influencing user perceptions deeply and yielding long-term, indirect conversions rather than short-term sales spikes.

We can assess World Cup marketing 'effectiveness' through two dimensions.

One is the growth trajectory of overseas revenue.

Hisense's overseas income steadily rose during its sponsorship cycle, with overseas revenue accounting for over 40% of Hisense Home Appliances' total by 2025, growing significantly faster than domestic revenue. Overseas markets have become a vital growth engine. While not solely attributable to sports marketing, the strong correlation in timing is undeniable.

The second is the 'foot-in-the-door' effect on B-end business.

Lenovo's deep collaboration grants direct access to top-tier resources like host government bodies, global broadcasters, and large enterprises. Their procurement decisions on tech solutions cannot be measured by a single ad.

On the flip side, some brands have learned expensive lessons.

Some shone brightly during sponsorships but faded quickly post-event as their products couldn't gain traction overseas, rendering the exposure hollow, like Yingli.

In 2010, Yingli, a Chinese B2B solar manufacturer, stepped onto the world's top B2C marketing stage at the South Africa World Cup, sponsoring two consecutive editions in 2010 and 2014.

Media reports indicate Yingli invested around 200 million yuan in 2010 alone, escalating to 400-500 million yuan in 2014—a massive sum relative to its annual revenue at the time.

However, from 2015 onwards, Yingli faced severe debt crises, nearing delisting and bankruptcy restructuring.

Perhaps the harsh reality of World Cup marketing is that sponsorships don't rescue struggling brands but amplify successful ones.

If a company's global channels, product fit, and after-sales infrastructure aren't established, hefty sponsorship fees only create a grand brand bubble. Short-term awareness gains cannot translate into sustainable sales and market share.

Standing at the 2026 World Cup threshold, in an era of fragmented media and exploding entertainment options, is the World Cup still worth Chinese brands' continued bets?

From a fundamental traffic perspective, the answer is yes.

The 2022 Qatar World Cup attracted approximately 5.4 billion global viewers, with each of the last four World Cup finals exceeding 500 million viewers. The 2026 edition, co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, with timezone advantages and expanded 48-team formats, could see final viewership surge past 1.5 billion or higher.

The World Cup remains the planet's sole super-IP capable of continuously aggregating billions of attentions for a month. Its social media interactions, short-video reshares, and trending discussions surpass any other event, unmatched even by the Olympics. For brands seeking global influence, this is a must-seize high ground.

However, traffic is just the surface logic.

A deeper driver is that World Cup sponsorships have become an 'identity marker' in Chinese brands' global competition.

In hyper-competitive markets like home appliances, dairy, and internet services, louder brand voices and higher awareness breed consumer trust and sales—a brand siphon effect.

As the world's highest-profile sports stage, FIFA sponsorship itself is a 'brand tiering': those in the FIFA Partners list are certified 'global players' by an international top-tier organization; those with persistent pitch-side ads are 'industry leaders' with international payment capabilities.

Brands like Vivo and Wanda that withdrew aren't failures—Vivo strategically refocused after $450 million in cumulative investments, while Wanda prioritized cash flow amid financial crises, both rational commercial decisions.

Yet, when competitors continuously gain exposure and accumulate brand equity on the World Cup stage, absentees face higher cognitive reconstruction costs in the next global competition round—a regrettable oversight.

This year's World Cup merits special attention for Xiaohongshu's entry.

Why would a female-centric community platform bet heavily on a male-dominated event? The core lies in 'breaking out.'

Xiaohongshu seeks not mere traffic purchases but a strategic upgrade: optimizing user demographics, broadening content ecosystems, and revitalizing community energy.

The World Cup is the perfect lever to achieve all three.

While advertising conversion efficiency during the World Cup may lag behind beauty verticals, boosting male user representation from 28% to nearly 40% significantly raises the platform's future commercial ceiling—a 'space-for-time' strategic investment.

From a macro perspective, Chinese brands' World Cup marketing is evolving from 'brand exposure' to 'tech integration,' from 'unidirectional advertising' to 'ecosystem co-construction.'

Lenovo has transcended the realm of mere advertising; it has emerged as a key architect of the digital infrastructure for the event. Hisense, too, has evolved beyond its role as a mere billboard on the sidelines, now serving as a provider of display technology for the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) system. Xiaohongshu, not content with just content recommendation, has now ventured directly into the domains of event broadcasting and copyright management.

The rationale behind the collective commitment of Chinese brands to the 2026 World Cup is abundantly clear. In an era marked by the extreme fragmentation of attention spans, the World Cup remains one of the few mega-events capable of simultaneously achieving global reach, emotional resonance, technological showcasing, and channel endorsement.

For Chinese brands aspiring to go global, sponsoring the World Cup is not a financial gamble seeking immediate profit or loss; rather, it is a passport to enter the global mainstream commercial discourse system.

Achieving significant results with minimal investment? On the World Cup stage, this is a fallacy.

Companies like Hisense have demonstrated, through a decade of cumulative investment totaling billions of dollars, that the true value of World Cup marketing does not lie in speculative 'small-stakes, big-wins' strategies. Instead, it resides in the steadfastness of 'long-term investment, long-term returns.'

Looking ahead, as more Chinese brands attain global competitiveness, the roster of World Cup sponsors will only expand, and the depth of cooperation will only intensify.

Because on the World Cup stage, 'being present' in itself constitutes an irreplaceable commercial language.