The 2026 World Cup was co-organized by Canada, the United States and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July, during which time FIFA will enforce its “de-branding” policy by removing all brand labels in the premises other than those officially sponsored by FIFA, including any form of advertising and lottery sponsorship.
As part of that policy, 10 of the 11 sports stadiums hosted during the World Cup will be denamed and renamed geographically. For example, AT&T Stadium will be renamed Dallas Stadium. The only exception was the Mercedes Mercedes Stadium, located in Atlanta, which could not be completely removed due to engineering restrictions. FIFA considers the title to be part of advertising and is therefore subject to the same restrictions. In preparation for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has made strict regulations for branding of stadiums. Any logo or advertisement not approved by the FIFA must be removed or covered. The aim was to create a unified visual environment for all the premises, requiring the premises ‘ operators to plan several months in advance, including the removal of billboards and the adjustment of electronic monitors.
Many sports stadiums have signed cooperation agreements with betting companies such as Draft Kings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars. The agreements usually involve the display of brand signs on LED screens, lounges and entity billboards. All of these markings will be removed or replaced during the World Cup to meet FIFA requirements. FIFA has long pursued a “de-branding” policy to control advertising during the World Cup. Previously, in South Africa and Qatar, there were provisions for cover-up and migration except for official-sponsored advertising. The current World Cup will be attended by 48 teams and 104 games, the largest ever, when illegal sports games will become more popular. In response, before the opening of the World Cup, FIFA had repeatedly warned all member organizations against lottery sponsorship and advertising in the referee and video assistant referee (VAR) room. This updated regulation also applies to the video operating room (VOR) and the referee re-playing area (RRA), reflecting its growing role in ensuring fair sentences for competitions. In accordance with Circular No. 1938, issued on 1 August 2025, the ban applies to a number of organizations, including the FIFA Council, FIFA, the Association of European Clubs, the International Federation of Professional Football Players (FIFPRO) and the World Federation Association. It was emphasized that the FIFA was committed to excluding branding related to lottery from areas directly related to adjudicative work.