Countdown to FIFA: Bank of America Kicks Off FIFA Advertising

The world’s biggest sporting event is coming to the United States for the very first time, and with it, an unprecedented wave of tourism, spending, and opportunity for brands. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will draw millions of fans from around the globe, packing stadiums and filling planes, hotels, restaurants, and airports across North America.

Early projections suggest the tournament could draw over 1.2 million international visitors to the United States alone and around 6.5 million total match attendees across North America. Tourism officials and economists expect billions in travel-related spending, with some estimates pointing to more than $5 billion in direct tourism spend for host cities and over $30 billion in wider economic output tied to the event.

With matches spread across multiple U.S. host cities, air travel will be one of the primary ways fans move between markets. JCDecaux North America’s footprint covers 10 of these cities, with coverage in 6 key gateway airports, placing brands directly along the journeys of international and domestic supporters as they arrive, connect, and depart. This concentration of high-value audiences - global travelers, high-spend visitors, corporate guests, and passionate fans - makes airport advertising one of the smartest investments during the World Cup.

World Cup visitors aren’t just numerous; they’re valuable. In Los Angeles, for example, analysts project close to 180,000 out-of-town visitors with average spending of about $2,350 per person during the tournament period, much of it on hotels, dining, transportation, shopping, and entertainment—far surpassing the impact of other recent mega-events. Extrapolated across all U.S. host cities, that level of per-visitor spend represents a major battle for traveler wallets.

That’s why airport advertising becomes so powerful during this window. Airports will experience a sharp spike in high-intent travelers: international visitors arriving for the first time, domestic fans shuttling between group and knockout-stage venues, corporate guests, VIPs, and media. Capturing attention in these first and last moments of the journey—at the curb, in the concourse, at security, and at the gate—allows brands to influence where fans stay, how they pay, and what they choose to experience in market. 

Bank of America is among the first major brands to seize this moment at scale, launching the first massive FIFA World Cup 2026-themed activation across JCDecaux’s U.S. airport network. As the official bank of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the bank of the U.S. Soccer Federation, Bank of America is leveraging its unique position to connect with fans in a meaningful, emotionally resonant way.

The campaign creative celebrates the breadth and inclusivity of the game: dynamic imagery of current soccer players, legendary icons, and blind athletes showcases the diversity of the sport and the communities it brings together. Some executions are tailored with contextual messaging that nods to the specific markets in which they appear, allowing Bank of America to tap into local pride while maintaining a cohesive national storyline.

This is a truly national airport campaign, spanning both exterior and interior media for an unmissable association with the highly anticipated World Cup. Larger than life exterior placements and strategically placed static banners at the gateways to key matches in Boston, Dallas, Miami, and Houston extend the value of Bank of America’s event sponsorship by strengthening the brand’s ambassadorial association with FIFA. Digital, airport-wide placements extend Bank of America’s presence across Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, and Dallas, saturating key traveler touchpoints from curb to gate.

By owning both static and digital formats in these high-traffic terminals, Bank of America ensures that fans encounter the brand multiple times—on arrival, in transit, and at departure—reinforcing its role as a major supporter of U.S. soccer and the global game.

While marquee, large-format sites are now in limited supply leading into the tournament, there is still time for brands to get into the World Cup conversation. Programmatic airport advertising on JCDecaux’s digital inventory offers a flexible, data-driven way to reach FIFA fans as they travel to and between host markets.

With just about a month to go before the action kicks off, advertisers can still tap into premium digital screens across key airports, layer on targeting, timing, and frequency controls to align flights, match schedules, or specific audience profiles, and leverage creative flexibility to reflect real-time results, local team performance, or timely offers.

The window to capture traveling FIFA fans at scale and at the exact moment their excitement and spending intent is highest is closing fast, but it hasn’t closed yet. Reach out today to explore programmatic opportunities across JCDecaux’s digital airport network and secure your place alongside Bank of America in the countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026.