World Cup stars are selling beer more than drinking it

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup brings many of soccer’s biggest names into one tournament, the clearest public links between star players and alcohol are tied less to what they drink in private than to sponsorships, investments and branded ventures.

Among the strongest documented cases are Lionel Messi of Argentina and Inter Miami, Neymar of Brazil and Santos, James Rodríguez of Colombia and Minnesota United, Luka Modrić of Croatia and AC Milan, and Erling Haaland of Norway and Manchester City. FIFA materials and official tournament-related announcements place each player in the World Cup picture, while company statements, interviews and other primary reporting show how they are connected to beer, wine or cocktails.

Messi is the rare case where both personal consumption and commercial ties are publicly documented. In a January 2026 interview cited by La Nacion, he said, “I like wine,” and added that he also drinks “wine and Sprite.” On the business side, Michelob ULTRA has made him a central face of its soccer marketing. Anheuser-Busch announced the partnership around Copa América 2024, and PR Newswire later detailed his role in Michelob ULTRA’s World Cup 2026 campaign “The Superior Match.” Public terms of the deal were not disclosed.

That combination gives Messi unusual value for beverage marketers. He offers global reach with relatively low reputational friction, while his comment about mixing wine with Sprite connects him to a casual drinking ritual that is easy for consumers to recognize, even if it sits far from the language of fine wine.

James Rodríguez also has a documented public link to drinking as well as a current beer endorsement. In 2024, he recalled drinking wine that Everton supporters had given him during his time in England, according to the Liverpool Echo. In late 2025, Bavaria named him an ambassador for Cerveza Águila through 2027, a move later echoed in sports marketing coverage and company posts. MLS also confirmed his release from Minnesota United for World Cup preparation, identifying him as captain of Colombia.

For Águila, James fits a straightforward national strategy: captain, World Cup figure and one of Colombia’s most recognizable players. No public compensation figures have been released.

Neymar’s strongest alcohol connection is entrepreneurial rather than personal. In April 2024, Business Wire reported that he joined Fun Brands to launch his own line of cocktails made with spirits and wine, alongside nonalcoholic mocktails. The announcement described the project as a collaborative venture involving Fun Brands, NR Sports and Icon International. The exact size of Neymar’s stake was not made public.

There is also evidence of Neymar’s earlier work with Budweiser during the 2022 World Cup cycle through his official website and company materials. But no equally solid public proof shows that relationship continuing into 2026. Likewise, no recent primary or high-reliability source appears to document his personal alcohol consumption clearly enough to meet the same standard as Messi or James.

Modrić stands out for ownership. Croatian reporting said he acquired a 50% stake in Zeppelin Craft Brewery in 2025, with local business registry data cited as confirmation. Public details on the price paid or any shareholder agreement have not been disclosed.

That makes Modrić one of the most concrete examples of a football star moving beyond endorsement into direct participation in a drinks business. For craft beer and destination marketing, the appeal is obvious: local production, real equity and a clear geographic story. Zeppelin Brewery is also promoted as part of the tourism offer in Bjelovar-Bilogora County, giving the investment a link to place-based travel as well as beverage branding.

Haaland’s tie is centered on global beer promotion. In April 2026, AB InBev announced that Budweiser had signed him as a global ambassador for its World Cup platform “Let It Pour,” with activation in more than 40 countries. The company quoted Haaland connecting the campaign to his first World Cup appearance. Contract terms were not released.

His case also carries the sharpest regulatory tension. Reporting by The Guardian said Norwegian organizations criticized the campaign because alcohol advertising is banned in Norway. The Norwegian federation said it was aware of the agreement and argued that it was legal outside the domestic market. That makes Haaland highly valuable for worldwide visibility but more exposed than other players to legal and reputational scrutiny at home.

Taken together, these cases show how beer continues to dominate mass-market soccer activation around the World Cup. Michelob ULTRA and Budweiser are using players such as Messi and Haaland for campaigns tied to bars, stadiums, packaging and broad social occasions. Wine appears less often in large-scale sponsorships and more often through personal rituals or narrower cultural signals. Spirits and cocktails sit somewhere in between, especially when attached to celebrity-led ready-to-drink ventures such as Neymar’s.

The evidence also shows how uneven public documentation remains. Only Messi and James have clear recent records of personal alcohol consumption in attributable reporting. Modrić is the only one among these players with a publicly reported ownership percentage in an alcohol business. For Neymar, Haaland and most endorsement deals in this group, financial terms remain undisclosed.

For beverage companies and tourism operators, that distinction matters. The strongest stories are not necessarily about what elite players drink off camera. They are about how those athletes help sell beer on a global scale, lend credibility to national brands or turn local breweries and cocktail ventures into broader lifestyle businesses.