The stage is set for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With kick off on June 11 in Mexico City and the finals set for MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, North America is about to host the biggest sporting event in history. For the first time ever, three nations including the United States, Canada, and Mexico will host the tournament across 16 different cities. The field of 48 nations will play 104 matches with an estimated engagement of more than six billion people.
Those numbers are staggering on their own. But behind the spectacle lies something equally remarkable, the 2026 World Cup is on track to become the most valuable intellectual property event ever staged. FIFA projects revenues in excess of $11 billion, with broadcasting rights estimated to represent $4.2 billion and sponsorship deals to represent $2.8 billion. Every dollar of that revenue flows directly from FIFA’s intellectual property: trademarks, copyrights, and licensing agreements that FIFA has built up and carefully protected over the decades.
So what does that IP portfolio actually look like?
The Official Emblem and Slogan
At the heart of the World Cup's brand identity is the Official Emblem — the instantly recognizable tournament logo registered as a trademark and protected by copyright across virtually every jurisdiction on earth. For the 2026 event, FIFA also filed trademark applications for its campaign slogan "We Are 26" across numerous countries in different languages, covering everything from merchandise and digital advertising to official event branding.
The Ball
Then there is the Trionda — the official match ball for the 2026 World Cup, designed by Adidas.
Named by combining the Spanish words for “three” (tri) and “wave” (onda), the Trionda celebrates the tournament’s three host nations with a four-panel construction comprising a maple leaf for Canada, stars for the United States, and an eagle for Mexico. Adidas filed for trademark protection in the United States in September 2024 and has received a registration date earlier this month.
But the ball has also become the subject of some IP controversy. A German designer named Marius Dittmar claims he independently designed and registered a nearly identical four-panel football with the German Patent and Trademark Office in November 2023, and when leaked images of the Trionda surfaced online, he believed Adidas had appropriated his design. But Adidas had beat Dittmar to the filing of their Trionda design with the EUIPO in 2023. In October 2025, Dittmar filed to cancel Adidas's European Union design protection. Unable to rely on his own designs, Dittmar pointed to a 2008 U.S. patent as prior art showing that the four-panel construction was already part of the existing design landscape. Adidas has downplayed the threat, noting it holds three separate protections for the Trionda and that any adverse ruling would only affect European design exclusivity, not its broader rights.
It is a fitting reminder that in the world of intellectual property, the procurement and protection of IP rights can come with challenges.
The Album
The story of IP protection extends to soundtracks as well. Rather than a single official song, FIFA released a multi-artist album for the tournament. The lead single “Lighter,” was produced by Canadian Grammy Award-winning producer Cirkut and performed by American country-rock artist Jelly Roll and Mexican singer Carín León. Additional tracks from Daddy Yankee, Belinda, Shenseea, and Los Ángeles Azules have followed in subsequent weeks. Each song in the official album carries its own copyright, licensed through FIFA and its label partner Def Jam Recordings. The music may be used for official broadcasts, but unauthorized use in commercial contexts such as retail stores, social media ads, or bar promotions may raise copyright liability concerns.
Takeaway
FIFA’s IP is the engine that drives the entire tournament. Remove the IP protection, and the licensing model collapses. With over six billion people expected to tune in, the 2026 World Cup represents an unprecedented number of eyes on FIFA’s trademarks and copyrights on a world stage. For businesses operating in and around the host cities this summer, understanding those boundaries is not simply good practice, it is essential. When in doubt, consulting with experienced IP counsel before kickoff is always the right call.
Author: Matthew Korwin, Edited by Craig Drachtman and April Capati