Budweiser marks 40 years of FIFA World Cup with limited-edition collectible packaging

Budweiser has introduced a limited-edition packaging range to commemorate four decades as the Official Beer Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™. The release forms part of a broader campaign marking the milestone and includes a collectible pack featuring designs referencing each tournament since 1986.

The Budweiser® FIFA World Cup™ Anniversary Pack consists of 11 aluminium bottles and cans. The collection highlights ten previous tournaments, beginning with Mexico 1986, alongside the upcoming FIFA World Cup™ 2026. Each design incorporates visual cues and cultural references associated with the respective host tournaments.

The packaging also integrates digital elements. A QR code printed on each bottle links to online content connected to the tournament era represented on the pack. Depending on location, the digital platform provides access to football-related experiences, historical content and promotional prizes.

Developed in collaboration with branding agency JKR, the limited-edition range is scheduled for release in selected international markets, including Brazil, China and parts of Europe. Distribution will focus primarily on markets outside the United States.

The packaging launch is supported by a global campaign centred on a film titled The Big Drop. The production features large Budweiser bottle imagery travelling through a variety of landscapes before arriving at stadiums that have hosted FIFA World Cup tournaments over the past 40 years.

The venues are portrayed as oversized ice buckets in the film, which uses visual effects to depict the collectible bottles within stadium settings. The campaign soundtrack features the song You’ll Never Walk Alone. The film will be distributed internationally across digital and social media channels.

For 40 years, Budweiser has been part of the moments that bring fans together – on the pitch, in the stands, and everywhere the game is watched by consumers of legal drinking age. With this global platform, we are celebrating that shared history in a way that feels as relevant today as it did in 1986 – connecting generations of fans through the passion, energy, and rituals that make the FIFA World Cup so special, while building excitement for what’s still to come.

Richard Oppy, Global President, Premium Company at AB InBev.

Budweiser is also launching an out-of-home advertising campaign titled Proudly on the Pitch. The campaign draws on archival FIFA World Cup photography and focuses on the brand’s pitch-side advertising presence at past tournaments.

The visuals combine imagery from multiple competitions to illustrate the evolution of Budweiser’s branding across FIFA World Cup events since the mid-1980s. The campaign is expected to appear across several global markets as part of the wider anniversary initiative.