The FIFA World Cup is one of the world’s most watched sporting events—a global cultural phenomenon that brings unparalleled attention to its host cities. As North America prepares for 2026, the tournament shines a spotlight on major markets that already rank among the most dynamic in the sports sponsorship landscape.

Every year, we look at what’s happening collectively across the sports sponsorship landscape in key markets. For this year’s markets report, we examined 13 World Cup host cities in the U.S. and Canada to understand the broader sponsorship ecosystems shaping them today—well beyond the tournament. In addition to MLS and NWSL, the report includes NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, and the Power 4 college conferences. Collectively, these 13 host cities have generated $4.5 billion in sponsorship spend, representing nearly half of the North American sports sponsorship economy. While soccer remains the smallest of the major pro sports in sponsorship revenue, MLS team sponsorship revenue has grown 21% in the past 3 years, paired with a 331% surge in branded social engagement across the teams.

Nearly 40% of the top spending sponsors across the 13 host cities allocate at least 75% of their sponsorship budget to that respective market, reflecting a pronounced home-market focus. Los Angeles leads with six of these hyper-local investors, followed by Atlanta, Kansas City, and Miami (five each). Notably, most of these concentrated spenders are unique local entities – such as regional banks, universities, or healthcare systems – dedicating virtually all their sponsorship dollars to their home market. None of the 75%+ spenders appear in more than one city’s top list, highlighting how brands — regardless of scale — are prioritizing depth over breadth in the key markets that matter most to their business.

These 13 markets have drawn $725 million in new sponsorship investments, led by L.A. ($178M), New York/New Jersey ($124M), and San Francisco/Bay Area ($55M). When just looking at soccer, Kansas City, Miami, and Vancouver allocate the largest share of their overall sports sponsorship investment, demonstrating the sport’s outsized importance in these markets compared to others.

By exploring the sponsorship dynamics across the World Cup host cities, this report captures the full spectrum of brand activity and opportunity within some of North America’s most influential markets, where the upcoming tournament will only add another layer of momentum and visibility.

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