83% of global Gen Z fans plan to cheer on the 2026 World Cup

Here’s the deal:

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be one of the biggest attention moments marketers will see all year. For the first time, three countries — Canada, Mexico and the U.S. — will share hosting duties across 16 cities, with 48 teams competing from June 11 to July 19.

To understand how audiences plan to engage with the tournament, The Trade Desk Intelligence and Appinio surveyed nearly 40,000 consumers across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden.¹ Paired with data from GWI,² the findings point to especially strong momentum among Gen Z audiences across major markets.

Data debrief:

Gen Z fans around the world say they plan to engage heavily with World Cup content, with particularly high interest levels in Europe and Canada: 

• U.S.: 70% 

• Canada: 85% 

• U.K.: 87% 

• Germany: 82% 

• Italy: 91%   

While Gen Z audiences rank the most enthusiastic overall, high enthusiasm extends well beyond younger viewers. In fact, millennials, Gen X and baby boomers across surveyed markets also report strong intent to follow World Cup content throughout the summer.

In Italy, for example, engagement remains consistently high across every generation surveyed, including 90% of millennials, 89% of Gen X and 82% of baby boomers. In the U.K., 81% of millennials and 74% of Gen X audiences also say they plan to engage with tournament content.

What it means:

Few events deliver this kind of sustained global attention. For six weeks, fans will follow matches, highlights, commentary and tournament storylines across screens and formats, giving marketers more opportunities to show up during the moments audiences are already invested in.

Our research indicates that World Cup fans are highly engaged and primed for live sports advertising. For instance, across markets, more than 75% of fans say they will continue watching even if their team is eliminated. With matches spanning multiple time zones, FOMO — or fear of missing out — will drive fans to keep up in real time and on replay. For advertisers, that consistency matters. Marketers who meet audiences across matches and surrounding premium content environments are positioned to build stronger in-the-moment connections throughout one of the year’s largest global media events. 

Sources: 

1. The Trade Desk Intelligence and Appinio, 2026 FIFA World Cup Insights, N=500, U.S.; N=500, CA; N=500, U.K.; N=500, DE; N=500, France; N=500, Italy; N=500, Spain; N=500, SE; N=500, October 2025. 

2. GWI Core and September Zeitgeist, U.S., CA, U.K., DE, FR, IT, SP, SE, September 2025. 

The Current is owned and operated by The Trade Desk Inc.