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Soccer icon David Beckham has forged a multi-year partnership with Bank of America, aiming to champion global sports initiatives ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
The collaboration, first reported by Reuters, sees the former England captain leveraging his influence to further ignite interest in the sport across the United States.
Beckham, a co-owner of Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami, has been instrumental in elevating soccer’s profile in the US, notably by bringing Lionel Messi to Miami in 2023.
He anticipates the World Cup will significantly boost engagement in a market he calls a “sleeping giant”.
“It is the biggest sporting competition in the world,” Beckham told Reuters. “I’ve seen a huge uplift in the support for the game… we know that there’s a huge market there, it’s kind of a sleeping giant.”
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David Beckham is the co-owner of Inter Miami (Getty)
For Bank of America, a World Cup sponsor, this alliance aligns with its strategy of investing in global sporting events.
David Tyrie, the bank’s president of global marketing and digital, explained such partnerships enhance its brand, market services, and connect with local communities.
“It’ll be an access point for clients and prospects across the board, but what this really does for us is it opens Bank of America’s branding to go far beyond traditional financial categories, and hopefully create emotional connections that are going to drive loyalty.”
While financial specifics of the deal remain undisclosed, Beckham highlights the burgeoning number of MLS teams, stadiums, and academies, alongside a growing Premier League fanbase, as indicators of soccer’s increasing traction in the US.
He believes the World Cup presents a unique opportunity for growth: “The majority of owners within the MLS see that opportunity (from the World Cup) … to then push on to the next level and to achieve even more, and make this game more popular in their country.”