{"id":363123,"date":"2026-06-16T19:08:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T19:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/363123\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T19:08:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T19:08:10","slug":"how-levis-is-embracing-fifas-world-cup-stadium-branding-rule-nbc-bay-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/363123\/","title":{"rendered":"How Levi\u2019s is embracing FIFA\u2019s World Cup stadium branding rule \u2013 NBC Bay Area"},"content":{"rendered":"

Levi’s is taking FIFA’s World Cup rules<\/a> in stride.<\/p>\n

Soccer’s global governing body does not allow visible corporate branding at stadiums hosting World Cup<\/a> games if the company is not an official World Cup sponsor. Because of that, venues across North America have been required to cover up their pre-existing logos \u2014 and even change their names \u2014 for the tournament.<\/p>\n

Among them is Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, which is going by “San Francisco Bay Area Stadium” for the World Cup.<\/p>\n

The home of San Francisco 49ers<\/a>, which just hosted Super Bowl LX<\/a> in February and is the site of six World Cup matches, covered it’s giant Levi’s logo with a white tarp. But while the name is obscured, the familiar shape of the denim brand’s iconic batwing logo is still recognizable.<\/p>\n

Levi’s has used the situation as a marketing opportunity. The company changed its profile picture on its social media handles to mimic the concealed logo at the stadium.<\/p>\n

“Welcoming the world to the beautiful [redacted] stadium!” it wrote on Instagram<\/a> after Qatar and Switzerland played in the first World Cup game at the venue on Saturday. The post was overlayed with the popular “How will they know” TikTok audio.<\/p>\n

FIFA maintains that stadiums need to wipe away all pre-existing branding for the tournament to \u201cprotect its brands and the exclusive rights of its sponsors.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is one exception to the rule, however. Mercedes-Benz Stadium, branded as “Atlanta Stadium” for the World Cup, got to keep the Mercedes-Benz logo on its retractable roof due to complications that would come from covering it up, The Athletic<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSoFi Stadium VP Juan Carrero and Clark Construction executive Rick Solomon broke down the months-long transformation that turned the Inglewood venue into a FIFA World Cup pitch, including natural grass grown 1,600 miles away in Washington and a playing field elevated higher than any NFL game ever played there.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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