Kellanova has teamed with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) to become the Official Snack of U.S. Soccer, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The partnership is Kellanova North America’s first partnership in sports for its entire snack portfolio, which includes Pringles, Cheez-It and Pop-Tarts, and comes as the company has more than doubled its sports marketing spend since 2018.

“We will continue to invest in sports because we see the value it brings — not only in growing fan engagement and cultural relevance, but also in delivering strong returns on our brand-building efforts,” said Julie Bowerman, chief marketing officer of Kellanova North America, in a statement.

The partnership comes as the U.S. prepares to host the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, as well as the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Soccer fandom has exploded, with first-time fans up more than 400% year-over-year, and it is a “transformative” time for the sport, said Dan Gaiman, senior vice president of partnership development and strategy at the USSF.

“We're really focused on finding those brands that are as excited as we are about this moment ahead, and really want to lean in,” Gaiman said. “From the shelves to the stadiums, Kellanova can create these joyful moments that connect our fans with the game.”

Brand halo

The partnership, with the shared tagline “It Takes a Pack,” will see Kellanova’s brands appear in national advertising, digital and social content and assets feature the company’s brand mascots. The effort also includes retail activations, packaging, in-store displays and purpose-driven events.

“Next year is going to be one of the biggest cultural moments that we're going to see, and it's all around soccer,” said Maggie Gilliam Hoy, senior director of omni capabilities and center of excellence lead at Kellanova. “There are a lot of dimensions in our partnership that we're going to bring to light.”

The USSF is the nonprofit governing body of American soccer at international, professional and amateur levels, including the men’s and women’s national teams, Major League Soccer, the National Women's Soccer League, youth organizations and beyond. Finding the right brand partners for the organization requires an alignment of values.

“Brand halo is really important. We want to work with brands that have a strong national presence [that] can help lift up the sport during such an important time and a commitment to really activating and engaging with our fans,” Gaiman explained.

A fraught playing field

Kellanova is the snack-focused business created when the Kellogg Company split off its North American cereal business as WK Kellogg Co in October 2023. Kellanova net sales were approximately $13 billion in 2024, per details from the company. Food giant Mars has made a $36 billion bid to acquire Kellanova but has hit regulatory snags in the EU.

With or without another corporate restructuring, Kellanova faces a CPG space dealing with changing consumer tastes, tariff-related issues and macroeconomic uncertainty. Amid all of that, the partnership around soccer requires lots of work to build out and activate.

“We're just staying focused and true to what we're really good at, which is having super strong brands and bringing them to life and working with our retail partners,” Gilliam Hoy said. “We're sticking to business as usual and driving strong business with our retail partners.”

The partnership also comes at a time of heightened sensitivity around sociopolitical issues for brands that are sometimes exacerbated by input by President Trump (e.g. American Eagle’s ongoing controversy around a campaign with Sydney Sweeney). The administration’s travel bans and immigration crackdown have raised concerns about the fitness of the U.S. to host international sporting events, including the World Cup and the Olympics — controversy Kellanova would surely like to avoid. 

“The retail moment and tentpole moment that we're talking about [is bigger than World Cup],” Gilliam Hoy said. “We're trying to get into that emotional, cultural side that everybody has. Everybody has an experience with soccer.”