The 2026 World Cup has become a hotbed for beauty brands seeking to connect with a global audience. As the tournament captures the world’s attention, companies are finding creative ways to merge the excitement of sports with the allure of beauty and personal care.
This year, the intersection of beauty and sports has never been more pronounced. Brands are leveraging the cultural significance of the World Cup to create memorable experiences and foster deeper connections with consumers.
Beauty Brands Take Center Stage
Several beauty brands have secured prominent roles in the 2026 World Cup festivities. Paula’s Choice was named the official skin-care sponsor, while Unilever‘s personal care brands, including Dove and Rexona are major sponsors of the tournament. These official partnerships are just the beginning, as other companies are also finding innovative ways to engage with fans.
Brands like Not Your Mother’sNYX and Fazit are organizing in-person events and promotions to drum up brand awareness during the tournament. These activations are part of a broader trend where beauty brands are expanding beyond traditional marketing channels to capture the female audience.
The Rise of Beauty in Sports
The infiltration of beauty into traditionally male-dominated sporting events has been on the rise. Amit Sarin head of partnerships and collaborations at Fazit noted that the convergence of beauty and sports is becoming more evident. ‘More than ever, beauty and sports are coming together,’ Sarin said, highlighting the growing support from major retailers like Sephora for sports teams.
This trend is not limited to the World Cup. Many beauty brands are also supporting women’s leagues, with Urban Decay and Ipsy becoming official beauty partners of WNBA teams. Saie a clean makeup brand, became the official beauty sponsor of the New York Knicks creating a significant marketing moment when the team won its first NBA championship in 53 years.
Creating Beauty Moments During the World Cup
The World Cup presents a unique opportunity for beauty brands to create special moments with their soccer-loving customers. Not Your Mother’s a hair-care brand, took customers and influencer partners to watch the Colombia versus Portugal match in Miami on June 27. This event was part of the brand’s larger experiential World Cup campaign in Miami.
Charlene Patten CMO of Not Your Mother’s explained that beauty marketing in sports has evolved to highlight how women want to look at events, whether at watch parties or the games themselves. ‘The World Cup is a complete cultural event, and as part of our latest strategy, we want to be at the edge of culture,’ Patten said. The brand’s heavy investment in sports marketing follows its rebranding last year.
The pre-game party offered hairstyling and customizable branded jerseys, allowing attendees to test the brand’s products in the muggy Florida summer. Fazit has also been running promotions throughout the tournament, including discounts celebrating the U.S. wins. The company launched its first-ever in-store makeover collaboration at beauty lounge Blushington offering exclusive soccer patch collections for retail purchase or professional application.
Expanding the Beauty Experience
The luxury bodycare category is on track to grow significantly, with consumers increasingly treating bodycare as a luxury, skincare-led category. Brands like Uni have named model and actor Kaia Gerber as its first creative partner, reflecting a broader shift in beauty. Historically, consumers were willing to spend more on facial skincare than on body products, but this is gradually changing.
Nima Jalali founder of Salt & Stone noted that consumers have become more informed and intentional about their daily wellness routines. This shift has led to the expansion of the luxury bodycare category, which is expected to grow to $27.8 billion by 2030. Investors are taking note, with significant investments in bodycare brands like Hanni and Salt & Stone.
Brands are borrowing from the skincare playbook, investing in research and development, and focusing on efficacy and ingredients. Bobbi Brown‘s cosmetic brand Jones Road broke into bodycare with a range of products that target the same concerns consumers have for their faces. The body lotion contains ingredients like sodium hyaluronate and squalane to minimize fine lines and boost hydration.
The shift towards luxury bodycare is also evident on the big screen, with actors like Zendaya seen using high-end body creams in films. However, there are still challenges for brands looking to break into the category, including shifting consumer perceptions and educating them about the benefits of luxury bodycare.
