Beckhams big haul, the end of the GOAT debate and Americas fast-food superiority: The World Cups other winners& losers
The 2026 World Cup has been a festival of heroes, villains and unforgettable storylines.Some arrived chasing immortality and left with their reputations rewritten.Others came as favorites and departed in disgrace.It was a tournament that proved the World Cup is no longer just decided on the pitch. Careers were made, reputations were destroyed, brands became global giants and entire nations changed the way the world viewed them.Now the confetti has settled, it’s time to decide who conquered the World Cup — and who was left counting the cost …While many brands cashed in on the World Cup, no one played the commercial game better than David Beckham.The former England captain, 51, turned the tournament into his own marketing masterclass, reportedly banking an estimated $25 million through partnerships that saw him hawking Adidas, Pepsi, Home Depot, Verizon, McDonald’s, Lay’s, Bank of America, Lenovo, Ninja and Stella Artois (notably, the official sponsor of the World Cup).He was everywhere: in commercials, in interviews talking up the competition and in VIP suites alongside wife Victoria, whose impassive reactions at games broke the internet.“This has been a great World Cup for branding and especially for David Beckham, who has really stood out,” says Rick Burton, Emeritus Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University.
“He is a commercial juggernaut.”And the very fact that the World Cup was held in America — and proved such a success — is a win for Beckham, who has been determined to make soccer relevant here.By first joining the LA Galaxy as a player in 2007, then becoming co-owner of MLS’s Inter Miami and convincing superstar Lionel Messi to sign on, he has done more for American soccer than virtually anyone else in the modern game.Becks even got his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, timed to the second day of the World Cup and with a green (rather than red) carpet that looked just like turf.“When David arrived, Major League ...