FIFA/2026 World Cup: Fanatics to manage on-site retail operations in stadiums and fan zones

Fanatics has become FIFA's "official on-site retail licensee" for the 2026 World Cup, announced the American manufacturer and distributor of licensed sports products on 04/12/2025. The group will be responsible for the management of retail operations across the 16 host stadiums and the official fan zones (FIFA Fan Festival) of the competition.

As part of this agreement, Fanatics " will work with a variety of world-class brands and official FIFA merchandise partners," said the company, which intends to leverage "its on-demand manufacturing capabilities and global supply chain" to produce merchandise associated with key moments of the competition in real time.

Fanatics had already entered into a similar agreement with FIFA for the Club World Cup 2025, which involved managing retail operations across 12 sites (in 11 host cities). The partnership for the 2026 World Cup, however, "will be the most expansive on-site retail operation that Fanatics has managed to date," according to the American brand.

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