India is World Cup's #2 consumer despite never qualifying — brands urged to act

Op-ed argues Indian marketers are underplaying FIFA World Cup as a cultural moment, citing 39 nights of fandom and 87% of matches after 10pm IST. IKEA and Coca-Cola cited as benchmarks; calls for brands to move beyond ad inventory across Kolkata, Kozhikode, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

— Source publishedThu, 11 Jun, 2026, 23:28 IST·First seen Thu, 11 Jun, 2026, 23:37 IST·Source Financial Express · BrandWagon

What happened

FIFA World Cup (India marketing) · Opinion piece urging Indian brands to treat FIFA World Cup as a cultural moment, not just ad inventory, given India is the

Key facts

  • 87% of matches after 10pm IST
  • 39 nights
  • second-largest consumer

Why this matters

Scout partnerships with football-fandom platforms, late-night QSR/delivery players, and IKEA/Coca-Cola-style experiential agencies to capture the gap before 2026.

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