How a Scrapped Idea Kicked Off McDonald's Biggest-Ever World Cup Push

The McDonald’s team had a different idea for its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, but it ended up on the cutting room floor. The original concept centered around the “field of play,” according to global chief marketing officer Morgan Flatley. “We got pretty far with it, and then we finally killed it,” Flatley told ADWEEK. “It just kept sticking with me that it felt like any brand could do that, and we should be doing something that’s uniquely McDonald’s.” Instead, the fast-food chain landed on a more distinct idea: while numerous brands go to the World Cup, why not bring the tournament to McDonald’s? That’s the premise behind McDonald’s biggest-ever World Cup campaign and largest marketing effort of the year, spanning more than 110 countries. As a FIFA partner for 32 years, the brand has upped its ambition for what is set to be the largest World Cup in history, with 48 teams and 104 matches hosted across 16 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. McDonald’s World Cup strategy also signals where the brand is headed, Flatley said. “We’re shifting from polished ads to creating more of an ecosystem [that spans] creators, fans, and experiences,” she said. As with all of its marketing, the World Cup campaign, created by longtime agency partner Wieden+Kennedy New York, is built on McDonald’s approach of grounding creative ideas in fan behaviors, rituals, and memories—what it calls its “fan truths” strategy. For this campaign, the fan truth was that “no matter how big or famous you are, there is a McDonald’s fan in everyone,” said Flatley. No ticket required The insight led to a campaign that is more human and relatable than the spectacle-driven advertising typical of this year's World Cup. Soccer stars like David Beckham and Thierry Henry appear as fans rather than icons, sharing their favorite orders, pre-game rituals, and inside jokes. “What I love about this is how authentic and human the athletes feel. They’re some of the biggest footballers in the world, and they feel like you or me or anyone else sitting in our restaurant,” Flatley said. That relatability also supports McDonald’s goal of making the tournament feel more accessible to everyday fans. With sky-high ticket prices and matches spread across three host countries, attending the World Cup in person is likely out of reach for many. “One of the things that’s special about McDonald’s is the ability to democratize culture, to take something and turn it into an event that everyone has access to,” Flatley said. “How do we provide everyone globally with a little piece of the World Cup?” To make the tournament more tangible for fans, McDonald's is bringing celebrations into restaurants and encouraging diners to create their own rituals. The campaign includes an official FIFA World Cup Meal and Happy Meal featuring Squishmallows toys, activations at select restaurants with a soccer ball wedged between the Golden Arches, and collectible cups featuring legends like Beckham, Henry, Ronaldinho, and Lamine Yamal. McDonald’s character Grimace also gets his own cup and starring role in the campaign. IRL connections and fan co-creation Fostering in-person experiences is becoming central to McDonald’s marketing strategy, Flatley said. “More and more, we believe in-real-life events are going to be an important part of our strategy. FIFA reinforces that,” she said. “Our ability to bring the event into our restaurants and into customers’ hands—that’s going to be something you’ll see more from us, because I believe consumers are craving those kinds of experiences today.” For the World Cup, McDonald’s is also drawing lessons from its Minecraft campaign last year, which ran in 100 markets and helped drive a global sales increase of 3.8%. “Fans came together in our restaurants and had these unboxing ceremonies, they created their own rituals with the collectibles and the food,” Flatley said of the campaign. “It was a real eye-opening moment for us on how we can help bring those moments to consumers of getting together, communing around tables and food, and sharing special moments together with the brand.” Evolving consumer habits have also shaped how McDonald’s is approaching creator marketing for the World Cup, forging deeper partnerships with creators like Dude Perfect and Nick DiGiovanni while incorporating more fan-generated content into its marketing. “We’ve realized, like many other brands, that consumers are shifting more to real people as recommenders and as voices of culture and of brands,” Flatley said. “It’s about bringing in creators and fans to create on behalf of the brand.”

World Cup

How a Scrapped Idea Kicked Off McDonald's Biggest-Ever World Cup Push

Global CMO Morgan Flatley on why the brand killed its first concept and bet on a fan-first strategy instead

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Brittaney Kiefer

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