The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the largest in the tournament's history: 104 matches across 16 cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada (40 matches more than the last edition), running from 11 June to 19 July, with an estimated six billion people — roughly three-quarters of the planet — expected to engage with it. For scale, the Paris 2024 Olympics drew around five billion viewers. The magnitude of the audience makes headlines, but the actual impact comes elsewhere: audiences have only a modest national effect, with the main beneficiaries being host cities through tourism, services, and consumption. As a result, the most interesting story may not happen on the pitch but in retail, especially in department stores that are seizing the moment as both a business opportunity and a chance to become cultural destinations. Here's how the biggest names in retail are playing the game.

IADS Exclusive - How department stores are playing the 2026 FIFA World Cup

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