McDonald’s leads 2026 World Cup advertising effectiveness study

A study titled ‘Quem ganhou o Mundial’, conducted by Yadayada in partnership with Granpaso and Toluna, has analyzed the effectiveness of advertising campaigns surrounding the 2026 World Cup in Portugal and Spain.

In Portugal, McDonald’s emerged as the most effective brand with a branded reach of 36.7%. The study highlighted that 76.5% of people who remembered the campaign correctly identified the advertiser. Other notable performers in Portugal included Continente (26.3%), BPI (24.8%), and Sagres (23%).

In Spain, El Pozo (28.2%) and Domino’s (27.3%) led in branded reach. The research also noted a shift in consumption habits, specifically a rise in YouTube usage for following World Cup content, which increased from 16.4% to 30% overall, reaching 45% among the 18 to 34 age demographic.

Across both markets, brands such as Adidas, Coca-Cola, Nike, and Visa maintained strong spontaneous associations with the tournament, with Coca-Cola leading in Portugal and Adidas leading in Spain.