Football fans faced a "constant bombardment" of junk food advertisements during the 2026 Fifa World Cup, with logos for high-fat, salt, or sugar products appearing 65,722 times across 104 matches, according to a study by the University of Bristol and University of Oxford. Using AI to analyse the international broadcast feed, researchers found ads visible for 28.1 hours — over 16% of total match play time — primarily on pitchside boards in stadiums across the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Coca-Cola led with 21,893 appearances, followed by Mc Donald's (13,915), Powerade (12,777), and Lay's (12,087), all official Fifa partners.

Fifa defended its partnerships, stating revenue funds football development and health initiatives like the "Be Active" campaign. However, public health experts warn the tournament exploits a regulatory loophole. Since October 2025, UK law bans junk food ads on TV before 9pm, but international event hoardings are exempt. Greg Fell, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, called it a "loophole" requiring global collaboration, likening junk food marketing tactics to the tobacco industry. Dr Elisa Becker, report co-author, said sport should solve poor health, not saturate audiences with unhealthy marketing amid a childhood obesity crisis where 15% of UK children are obese.