Shopping and Sports & Outdoor app installs increased YoY
South America saw the strongest growth in food delivery installs
Sports gaming installs rose 18% above the November average
A global sporting event at unprecedented scale
Sports have long been a powerful cultural and commercial engine. According to WARC Media’s Global Advertising Trends report, global sports events generated an estimated $61 billion in 2024, driven by continued investment in sponsorships, activations, and fan engagement. For advertisers, few moments deliver that kind of mass reach.
But this global soccer championship is far more than another tentpole moment. It is one of the rare occasions when worldwide attention, shared emotion, and mobile behavior converge at massive scale. And in 2026, the stakes rise even higher.
For the first time, three countries, the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will host the tournament, expanding its footprint across North America. From June 11 to July 19, 104 matches across 16 cities will generate five consecutive weeks of global attention. It is set to become the largest and most commercially powerful sporting event to date, with FIFA projecting $2.5–3B in marketing and sponsorship revenue alone.
So what does this actually mean for brands?
In this report, AppsFlyer, together with our partners at Sensor Tower and M+C Saatchi Performance, explores why the tournament represents a short window with game-changing impact. We examine how fan engagement has shifted toward always-on, mobile-first behaviors and analyze how app verticals performed during the 2022 tournament.
Rather than treating the last tournament as a playbook to repeat, we use it as a signal to highlight where future opportunities lie and how brands should evolve their omnichannel strategies, with mobile acting as the central hub for engagement, measurement, and conversion, as they prepare for the 2026 edition.
*All results are based on fully anonymous and aggregated AppsFlyer data. To ensure statistical validity, we follow strict volume thresholds and methodologies and only present data when these conditions are met.
Observation window:
20 October 2022 – 18 January 2023
Pre-Event (31 days before Kickoff)
During the tournament (20 November – 18 December)
Post-Event (31 days after Final)
A rare full-funnel growth opportunity
Every four years, this championship builds momentum in a predictable and measurable way. Interest begins rising well before kickoff, with global Google search trends, measured on a 0 to 100 index of relative interest, serving as an early signal of consumer intent across markets.
The men’s competition still leads in absolute scale, and each edition pushes the ceiling higher. From 2014 to 2022, peak search interest jumped by more than 40%, proving that the tournament does not just recreate attention, it actively pulls in new audiences.
Meanwhile, the women’s tournament has clearly moved beyond niche status. While overall volumes remain lower, search interest around the 2019 and 2023 tournaments rose by 30 to 40%, pointing to steady gains in awareness and engagement.
In a fragmented media landscape, few moments generate this level of concentrated, time-bound demand. For brands, that makes it a rare full-funnel opportunity, driving acquisition, engagement, and monetization across weeks and markets. Success depends on planning early, localizing activation, and staying present beyond the final whistle.
Global Google search trends around the FIFA tournament (Jan 2014– Jan 2026) *
Mobile has evolved from second screen to always-on companion
Over the past 12 years, global soccer tournaments have reshaped how fans engage with the sport. Live TV remains the emotional anchor, but mobile has become the constant companion. It’s where fans follow every moment, react in real time, and engage with everything happening around the match. Each edition of the tournament has pushed this behavior further. What began as casual second-screen scrolling has evolved into always-on engagement, with mobile now sitting at the center of the experience.
Qatar 2022 was a true global digital accelerator. Streaming, social, news, gaming, commerce, finance, and betting apps showed how high-stakes live moments can mobilize audiences at scale and activate multiple high-intent touchpoints.
AppsFlyer analyzed hundreds of millions of app sessions, minute by minute, during the semi-finals. Not just among soccer superfans, but across the entire population of the competing countries. When attention was fully locked to the TV, app usage dropped. When usage spiked, mobile became the outlet for emotion, reaction, and connection.
Mobile doesn’t replace the live experience. It amplifies it, capturing emotion in real time and turning moments into measurable engagement across multiple app categories.
The next opportunity is about real-time relevance, personalized experiences, and smart cross-channel orchestration. Done right, these moments don’t end at the final whistle. They build loyalty, retention, and lifetime value (LTV) for brands well beyond the tournament itself.
Host countries turn global attention into highly localized growth strategies
In the United States, the tournament unlocks access to a young, mobile-first, high-spending soccer audience. WARC reports that over the last five years, the share of US adults who call themselves soccer fans has grown by 28%, faster than any other major traditional sport in the country.
Gen Z and Millennials sit at the center of US fandom, while Latino audiences are a major force behind that rise. McKinsey reports that 44% of Latinos in the US are likely to follow the tournament and show higher brand loyalty when engagement is culturally relevant and localized. In an iOS-dominated market, platform-native strategies are critical to sustain momentum beyond the event.
Mexico will be the emotional and digital epicenter of the tournament. Soccer is deeply embedded in daily life, with eight in ten Mexicans planning to watch full matches. As viewing shifts toward streaming, social platforms, and second screens, Mexico’s bilingual audiences and commerce ecosystem allow discovery and conversion to happen almost simultaneously, making it a high-impact market for brands.
Canada’s opportunity goes beyond reach. Hosting large-scale events like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour allowed Toronto and Vancouver to stress-test infrastructure, partnerships, and digital demand, laying a strong foundation for the 2026 global soccer championship. As global attention peaks, competition for visibility will intensify. Brands that invest in SEO, mobile experience, and local discovery will be best positioned to turn high-intent demand into lasting growth.
Streaming growth follows access, experience, and habitual engagement
Qatar 2022 showed how major live events can accelerate over-the-top (OTT) and streaming app growth when distribution, rights, and user experience align. M+C Saatchi Performance notes that global installs jumped 46% on opening day and remained 41% higher throughout the week, with EMEA seeing spikes of up to +70% during key matches, alongside rising session volumes and duration.
Revenue followed attention. During the tournament, in-app purchase (IAP) revenue rose 50% in Brazil and 33% in Mexico, with more mature markets also delivering double-digit gains.
In the UK, the streaming app ITVX led in installs, while BBC iPlayer led in usage, proving that getting the download was only part of the equation. Engagement followed access, depth of content, and existing viewing habits.
Peacock in North America, DGO across South America, and Globoplay in Brazil saw triple digit download growth, with DGO also lifting MAUs. Free access, easy onboarding, and local relevance turned match day spikes into sustained usage.
For 2026, the priority is not just visibility but integration into how fans watch. Telemundo and NBCUniversal’s full Spanish-language coverage will reshape viewing in the US, creating high-intent moments before, during, and after matches. The opportunity lies in turning peak attention into LTV through strong retention strategies.
OTT & live streaming app installs and remarketing conversions during the 2022 tournament
OTT & live streaming IAP revenue lift during the 2022 global tournament
Top streaming apps during the 2022 global tournament *
In 2026, retail success shifts from peaks to sustained journeys
The 2022 tournament intensified the most competitive global retail window. Held in November, it directly overlapped with Black Friday and Cyber Week, creating the most competitive retail moment of the year.
According to Sensor Tower, the Americas saw significant growth, with General Shopping and Sports and Outdoor app downloads rising more in late November through December in 2022 compared to 2021, as promotional intensity and soccer momentum reinforced each other.
In Europe, inflationary pressure meant that excitement did not always translate into incremental spend, forcing brands to compete harder for attention during an already saturated promotional window.
In MENA, hosting the tournament reshaped consumer behavior entirely. Spending shifted toward travel, events, and in-person celebrations, resulting in softer YoY eCommerce growth.
Looking ahead to 2026, the championship will coincide with the United States’ 250th anniversary, creating a major super-cycle of consumer touchpoints. Success will move away from single peak days toward sustained engagement across longer decision journeys.
Retail media will play a central role in capturing high-intent moments. While the US market already exceeds $55 billion, Latin America is the region to watch. Mexico and Brazil account for 81% of current retail media spend in the region, with total Latin American investment projected to triple to $5.45 billion by 2028. Winning in 2026 will require brands to master data integration and move beyond standard banners toward real-time, high-intent creative formats.
Match-day moments convert social viewing into incremental delivery demand
The championship also influenced offline behaviour, particularly social viewing and at-home gatherings, which translated into increased demand for food and drink delivery. On the opening day of the 2022 tournament, installs of food delivery apps increased by 15% compared to the November average.
This spike reflects the strong connection between live sporting events and shared consumption moments. For brands in retail, quick service restaurants (QSR), and delivery, the 2022 edition created predictable spikes around match schedules, offering opportunities for time-based promotions, geo-targeted offers, and match-day creative.
The impact was global, but uneven. Sensor Tower reports that Europe led in total volume with 19.2 million downloads, yet growth remained modest at 3.5%, suggesting the tournament mainly amplified existing habits in an already mature market.
South America showed a different pattern. With 8.1 million downloads, it recorded the strongest growth at 6.7%, as soccer culture translated directly into new app installs. MENA followed with 5.1% growth, supported by local hosting and match timings aligned with daily routines. North America barely moved at 1.3%.
Crucially, major tournaments do not replace regular demand. They stack on top of it. In the US, NFL Sundays already drive predictable, social, high-intent food moments. The tournament added extra peaks by disrupting routines with midweek and off-hour matches. Casual viewers tuned in, lapsed users returned, and group orders replaced solo meals. Same event, different dynamics. Mexico builds frequency. Brazil builds intensity. The real opportunity lies in understanding behaviour by market and activating at the right moment.
Food delivery app downloads during the 2022 global tournament *
Global soccer tournament momentum accelerates betting app growth across key markets
As one of the world’s most bet-on sporting events, the championship also drove growth in betting. On the tournament’s opening day, installs rose 8% above the monthly average, followed by a sustained uplift of 5% throughout the first week.
While growth was more measured than other categories, it was consistent, underlining the event’s role as a reliable driver of betting app discovery and usage.
Sensor Tower data highlights Europe as leading in scale. France accounted for 19.4% of regional downloads, surging 224% week over week in the first week, while Germany grew 124%. In Latin America, Colombia and Mexico generated 90% of total volume. Colombia’s strong betting and soccer culture pushed BetPlay and Rushbet to more than 120% growth in weekly active users. In Mexico, Betmexico and Rushbet stood out for their strong weekly engagement.
However, Brazil is the market to watch this time around. Betting apps were not permitted in 2022, but full legalization in 2025 drove record growth. In H2 2025 alone, Brazil reached 34.3 million downloads, accounting for 27% of the global total, more than any other country.
Despite American football’s dominance, US sports betting downloads rose 57% during the 2022 tournament, led by FanDuel and DraftKings. Engagement data confirms strong activation, with sessions up 15% in the US and over 30% in Canada and Mexico, highlighting the tournament’s ability to convert hype into sustained digital activity.
Top sports betting markets by downloads during the 2022 global tournament *
Sports betting apps growth during the 2022 global tournament vs. Prior 4 Weeks *
Sports betting app session lift during the 2022 global tournament
Live sports turn finance, news, and gaming into must-watch categories
A global sporting event of this magnitude can quickly reshape digital habits. International tournaments act as catalysts for fintech adoption. At Qatar 2022, 5,300 contactless payment terminals were installed across official venues, making it the most payment-enabled FIFA tournament ever. 89% of venue transactions were contactless. When the infrastructure is ready and motivation is high, even long-standing habits can shift rapidly.
The same urgency shapes content consumption. When fans cannot watch live, sports news apps become the fastest access point. On the tournament’s opening day in 2022, installs rose 72% above the November average and remained 56% higher during week one. These platforms became high-intent touchpoints for real-time engagement.
Social platforms amplified the effect. FIFA’s channels reached 811 million accounts, with engagement up 448% compared to 2018. The Argentina vs. France Final drove a 621% spike, proving that real-time storytelling is essential during live events.
Younger audiences went further. Sports gaming installs increased 18% above the November average and stayed 9% higher in week one, turning passive fandom into active participation.
But concentrated attention comes with trade-offs. As budgets crowd into live moments, costs rise and efficiency declines. Brands without clear relevance and exceptional creative execution may see limited incremental impact. The focus should be on strengthening LTV before costs escalate further.
Localized creativity and niche influence drive smarter engagement
Brands should adopt a creative, audience-led approach. For the 2026 edition, M+C Saatchi Performance is testing multiple creative iterations, including English, Spanish, and “Spanglish” versions designed to better engage Hispanic communities. It is important to recognize that all audiences are not faceless or monolithic. Diversifying messages through multiple creative iterations is, therefore, key to campaign success.
The tournament also creates an opportunity for localized, emotionally driven messaging. With most ticket holders expected to travel from nearby areas, targeting fans in host cities or those engaging in local match-day activities may prove more cost-efficient and deliver stronger results than broader targeting tactics.
Localization supports long-term community building and customer loyalty. Bars and restaurants, for example, can leverage experiential or out-of-home activations by positioning themselves as dedicated fan hubs for national teams.
Brands should also identify untapped communities, including at the neighborhood level, that may present cost-effective media opportunities. In parallel, soccer influencers, particularly those with micro or niche followings, can offer strong value. M+C Saatchi Performance distinguishes between creators, who produce branded content, and influencers, who build audience trust through endorsements. Proven success with this approach suggests it is worth exploring during the tournament.
AI-powered fan engagement: From campaign optimization to connected experiences
Brands are increasingly moving beyond isolated campaigns and embedding AI across the full journey.
On the creative side, automation updates ads in real time using signals like live scores, product availability, price shifts, or moment-based triggers. Messaging aligns with emotional and commercial peaks, increasing relevance without adding complexity.
At the same time, predictive models detect engagement spikes and adjust targeting and bidding instantly. Reaching fans at moments of highest excitement improves efficiency and lifts conversions.
Inside the app, AI recommendation engines personalize content, offers, and journeys based on behavior. Intelligent agents act as digital concierges, guiding users toward the next best action and expanding lifetime value.
The shift is clear. Nielsen Sports’ 2025 Global Fan Data Study shows that nearly three quarters of rights holders see personalized engagement as their main revenue driver.
The edge now lies in turning spectators into participants, and fragmented touchpoints into connected, data-driven journeys. But orchestration only works when AI is built on trusted, unified measurement. AI does not fix fragmented infrastructure. It amplifies it. Built on a strong foundation, it drives confident growth.
Orchestration becomes critical because the fan journey itself is no longer linear
The tournament no longer plays out exclusively on the pitch. Fans move fluidly. From streaming highlights on OTT, to reacting on TikTok, to betting on mobile, to checking stats on desktop, to watching extended coverage on Connected TV (CTV).
With unified measurement, CTV evolves from a pure awareness channel into a measurable growth driver. QR codes, synced ads, and companion app messaging can convert attention into installs and long-term relationships.
Brands reflect this behavior in their media strategies. Campaigns span channels simultaneously, and impression spikes are rarely isolated wins. They signal coordinated activation across environments, both digital and physical.
Rising ticket prices have driven a greater demand for out-of-venue experiences, expanding the event’s ecosystem. Digital billboards, fan zones, and hybrid activations extend engagement beyond the stadium while maintaining continuity across screens and spaces.
During the December 2025 tournament Draw, U.S. Soccer Federation and Visa transformed Times Square into an immersive fan experience. Broadcast, physical activation, digital amplification, and social engagement converged into one connected experience.
True omnichannel strategy is not about being everywhere, it is about connecting every interaction into a unified, measurable journey. Brands need infrastructure that preserves intent across screens.
- Where does fan attention shift across app categories?
- During major sporting events, fan attention doesn’t just stay inside Sports apps. Sports fans are adjusting their schedules and behaviors around the big games. For example, sports fans in the United States spend 4.2x more time than the typical mobile user on Weather apps, followed by News (3.6x) and Navigation (2.2x). Food & Drink, Travel, Finance, and Music apps also see outsized engagement, reflecting how sports moments are often social, on-the-go, and transactional. Looking at personas, Sports fans frequently align with bettors, live-event goers, outdoor enthusiasts, travelers, and entertainment seekers. That means brands don’t have to advertise around the game itself to reach this audience. They can show up in moments adjacent to fandom, like placing a bet, booking a trip, ordering food, or splitting a bill with friends.
- How are multi-touch, cross-device journeys shaping advertising strategies during major sports moments?
- Sports fans don’t experience big events on a single screen. They move fluidly between TV, mobile, and web (like streaming a match, checking stats, placing bets, and ordering food), often at the same time. The brands that perform best are the ones that connect touchpoints across devices instead of treating each channel in isolation. Quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands, for example, use retail media placements with services like Uber Eats during a sports streaming ad break that can reach fans at peak hunger moments and offer a simple, immediate call to action. A QR code lets a fan move from the TV screen to their phone and complete an order in seconds, without pulling attention away from the game. The brands that see the strongest results are those that tailor the experience to each device and design journeys that feel seamless and intuitive across screens.
- How do creative saturation and competition impact advertising performance during these events?
- Major sports events create enormous demand for attention, as well as intense competition for it. As more brands chase the same audiences, creative fatigue sets in quickly. At the same time, AI-driven production tools are accelerating creative testing and iteration, which shortens the effective lifespan of any single creative. This shifts the advantage away from sheer scale and toward differentiation. Winning teams are consistently finding new angles that feel meaningfully different from what fans are already seeing. AI can help streamline production, but it doesn’t automatically solve the harder problem of standing out in a crowded feed. Brands that anchor messaging in authentic fandom, whether through partnerships, storytelling, or genuinely fresh creative angles, are better positioned to break through and sustain attention.
- How can non-sponsor brands activate around a major event like this to drive impact?
- There are huge opportunities for brands that can capture the excitement of this global tournament. Realistically, the vast majority of people won’t actually be able to attend a game live, and therefore, brands should think laterally about how to capture attention creatively to build emotional connections and memories. For example, food delivery and sports betting apps should be right at the heart of the action on game day, the perfect chance to capture attention and turn it into immediate sales and long-term customers. Building an experiential element into campaigns will also help to build emotional connections. For example, hosting ‘fan events’ in the run-up to the tournament will give an opportunity for already loyal customers, and new customers, the chance to really experience what your brand offers.
- How can brands turn international soccer tournament audiences into long-term, engaged customers?
- Ensure there is a long-term plan for your customers after the event is over. Once the excitement has died down, what is the strategy to build on their relationship with your brand? Those who have a roadmap for long-term customer retention will win in the end once the excitement is over. For example, food delivery apps could plan a roadmap of post-event activity and offers, deals, bundles, or discounts, such as ‘Missing your soccer snack fix? Order your favorite, game-winning snack tonight to relive the excitement of the competition.’ A long-term growth and retention strategy depends heavily on a deep understanding of customer motivations and on developing detailed personalization to enable targeted marketing. Once the effort has gone into acquiring customers, losing them due to a lack of a retention plan should be avoided.
- What does effective media measurement look like during the World Cup?
- Digital does not stand still, and neither does the way we track, attribute, and evaluate the impact of media spend, which has always required agility. In a 2024 survey of US marketers, only 1 in 3 said they had an established measurement framework in place. However, it’s important to remember that Measurement Frameworks are more akin to fingerprints than templates; there is no one-size-fits-all approach. App marketers demand rapid day-to-day measurement to drive growth, and to really understand media effectiveness, there must be a balance between fast-moving tactics and a longer-term spend, basically balancing brand and performance through a measurement framework. Technology is central; without it, measurement doesn’t happen. We recommend a ‘Measurement Trifecta’ consisting of: 1. Attribution: Understand what’s driving conversions. 2. Incrementality Testing: Validate what’s truly driving results. 3. Media Mix Modeling (MMM): Forecast, optimize, and plan with confidence. Used together, these pillars offer a unified and actionable view of media performance across channels, teams, and business outcomes.
This global soccer tournament builds attention in predictable waves, but brands need to treat it as a phased growth engine, not a five-week spike. Invest early when costs are lower, activate in real time during key matches, and have a clear post-event retention plan. Strive to sustain engagement once the final whistle blows.
During Qatar 2022, installs and sessions surged during matches. Real-time emotion creates high-intent micro-moments. Winning in 2026 will require brands to react instantly with dynamic creative, contextual offers, and seamless paths from attention to conversion.
Global attention does not mean uniform behavior. Success depends on language nuance, cultural context, local creators, and market-specific timing. Treating audiences as communities rather than segments will improve LTV.
Fans move constantly between online and offline touchpoints.. Awareness and engagement rarely happen in the same place. Winning brands preserve intent across touchpoints, creating one measurable journey. Omnichannel orchestration turns fragmented impressions into unified growth.
Match-day spikes drive installs and sessions across streaming, delivery, betting, finance, and gaming apps. Pair moment-based creative, predictive targeting, and AI-powered personalization with structured re-engagement plans. Convert short-term hype into recurring behavior and sustained LTV.