The Home Depot has teamed with soccer-focused media network Men in Blazers Media Network for a traveling activation that will see the brands produce content around this summer’s FIFA World Cup, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The Home Depot is the official home improvement retail supporter of the tournament in North America.
“Our customers are passionate about their communities, and soccer is an increasingly important part of that,” said Allison Kolber, vice president of integrated marketing at The Home Depot, in a statement. “This partnership with Men in Blazers allows us to show up in meaningful ways for our customers — celebrating local stories, supporting the people building the game, and connecting with soccer fans across the country.”
Men in Blazers, founded in 2010, has partnerships with brands, leagues and teams including Anheuser-Busch InBev, Danone, NWSL and AFC Wrexham. The media network, which boasts more than 3.5 billion views annually and more than 4 million social followers, has become “the go-to partner for brands to connect directly, emotionally and authentically with U.S. soccer audiences,” said Roger Bennett, founder and CEO.
“[Home Depot] is a brand that has empowered millions of Americans to dream, create and build,” Bennett said “Football in America is a journey of millions of men and women building community, fandom, the very popularity of the sport, city by city, game by game, player by player, in the same way as we build this network, show by show, pod by pod, digital video by digital video, television show by television show, live show by live show.”
As part of the effort, Home Depot and Men in Blazers will take a custom-built, co-branded bus that doubles as a traveling mobile studio on a tour of select cities where World Cup games will be hosted. Stops include Los Angeles, Seattle, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas and the New York-New Jersey area.
The brands will document the tournament across the bus tour and produce three content series: a daily podcast called “Morning Cupdate” hosted by broadcaster Betty Glover; a five-part “DIY FC” series that highlights youth programs and community-led initiatives; and a three-part docuseries that follows the Men in Blazers’ journey.
“This moment in the United States is one we’ve waited for since we first plugged in the podcast microphones in 2010,” Bennett said. “We’ve always joked: soccer is America’s sport of the future, as it has been since 1972 — it’s always the next big thing. Ultimately, this 2026 World Cup is the moment where football goes over the top, finally, in the United States.”
Marketing around the World Cup
Along with its partnership with Men in Blazers, Home Depot will host on-site experiences at FIFA Fan Festivals and stadiums as part of its World Cup sponsorship. The retailer previously teamed with soccer legend David Beckham for Beckham’s Backyard immersive spaces at the fan festivals, an effort it kicked off with a World Cup sweepstakes with prizes including a $10,000 gift card and a trip package to the tournament final.
Behr Paint and power tool manufacturer Makita are also part of the Home Depot-Men in Blazers collab, providing materials for market-specific activations tied to “DIY FC” and giving away a custom, golden power drill to featured community members, respectively. Separately, customers who purchase select Makita power tools via Home Depot will receive a free World Cup scarf by Adidas.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is a once-in-a-generation moment for North America and one we know is important to The Home Depot customer," said Molly Battin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of The Home Depot, in a previous statement.
Outside of consumer-facing experiences, select Home Depot supplier partners in exclusive categories will have the opportunity to participate in World Cup activities through the retailer’s Orange Apron Media network. Home Depot last month partnered with Reddit and Pinterest to bring its Orange Apron Media network's first-party data to the social platforms.
Home Depot saw sales increase 3.2% in its fiscal 2025 year, but Q4 sales were down 3.8% compared to the year-ago period. Executives attributed the slide to a lack of storms, ongoing consumer uncertainty and pressure in the housing market.
