LAY’S BRINGS “NO LAY’S, NO GAME” TO FIFA WORLD CUP 26™ WITH A STAR-STUDDED GLOBAL CAMPAIGN

Lay’s is elevating its iconic “No Lay’s, No Game” campaign to the FIFA World Cup 26™, launching a global fan-focused push featuring Lionel Messi, Alexia Putellas, David Beckham, Thierry Henry, and Steve Carell. With humour, star power, and immersive fan engagement plans, Lay’s aims to become part of every match-day moment worldwide.  

Lay’s has decided to take its long-running, fan-favourite slogan “No Lay’s, No Game” to the grandest stage imaginable: the FIFA World Cup 26™. In a bold global move, the snack giant is positioning itself not just as a football-time essential but as a cultural connector, embedding the brand into the most watched sporting event on the planet. With billions expected to tune in across continents, Lay’s is preparing to occupy the emotional centre of match-day excitement—those charged moments when families, friends, and strangers gather around screens and stadiums to experience the highs and heartbreaks of the beautiful game.

The brand’s 2026 World Cup ambition is defined by one goal: transforming passive spectators into active participants through shared rituals, humour, and the universal language of snacking. Football has always been a sport that thrives on collective energy, and Lay’s has long understood that the joy of watching a match is rarely just about the 90 minutes on the pitch. It’s also about the atmosphere—the anticipation before kickoff, the laughter during replays, the debates over referee calls, and the instinctive reach for another chip as tension builds. By officially becoming part of the World Cup experience from the tournament draw to the final whistle, Lay’s is weaving itself into these moments with a campaign that celebrates both fans and flavour.

At the centre of this global push is the campaign’s kickoff film, a star-studded, tongue-in-cheek caper that unites some of football’s most influential figures with one of Hollywood’s most familiar comedic faces. Lionel Messi, Alexia Putellas, Thierry Henry, and David Beckham—icons who’ve lifted trophies, rewritten record books, and inspired generations—find themselves in one frame, plotting something hilariously unexpected: the ultimate World Cup watch party. The inclusion of Steve Carell, whose comedic sensibility adds a different sort of star power, completes the perfect blend of football royalty and entertainment charm. By recruiting names that resonate across genders, nations and fan demographics, Lay’s is crafting a campaign built on global recognisability and playful appeal.

What makes the film stand out is not just the celebrity ensemble but the way it captures the lighthearted chaos of preparing for a match. The premise plays into the idea that football is as much about the build-up as it is about the game itself. Fans everywhere understand the ritual—setting up the room, settling arguments over who sits where, choosing the viewing screen, and making sure the snacks are within reach. Lay’s turns these everyday fan behaviours into a spectacle, amplifying them through humour and star power while reinforcing the belief that watching football without Lay’s would be merely half an experience. The result is a film that feels like the first chapter of a much bigger story the brand plans to tell over the entire tournament cycle.

For Lay’s, the timing is strategic. The FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the largest edition in the tournament’s history, co-hosted across North America and projected to have unprecedented reach thanks to expanded teams, increased matches, and a global fanbase that has grown in both scale and digital participation. As the excitement builds over the next two years, the brand intends to maximise visibility across physical activations, digital extensions, and consumer engagement campaigns. In essence, Lay’s hopes to enhance what fans already love about the World Cup—community, adrenaline, humour, and shared snacks—while elevating the meaning of its own catchphrase.

The phrase “No Lay’s, No Game” has evolved over the years into something more than a tagline. It has become a punchline among friends watching matches, a meme template for fan banter, and a shorthand for the role snacks play in social sporting moments. By bringing this line to a global cultural phenomenon like the World Cup, Lay’s is giving it new weight and universality. The message is simple yet powerful: football may unite the world, but Lay’s unites the fans who watch it. Whether in big cities or small towns, in packed sports bars or quiet living rooms, in office breakrooms or hostel dorms, the brand wants its chips to be a part of every cheer, groan, and celebratory jump.

Beyond the campaign film, the brand is hinting at a broader plan to “raise the bar for fan engagement.” This likely means a mix of interactive content, limited-edition flavours tied to participating nations, collectible packaging, global contests, social media challenges, collaborations with players, and offline fan corners during the tournament. Over the years, Lay’s has successfully experimented with fan-first marketing—remember the flavour-voting campaigns, personalised packets, and region-specific innovations—so the World Cup platform provides the perfect environment to scale these ideas with real-time excitement.

The campaign taps into another important cultural trend: the blending of entertainment, sport, and digital conversation. In an age when watching football is no longer limited to television but extends to smartphone debates, meme exchanges, reaction videos, and live-stream chatter, Lay’s sees an opportunity to become a part of the online energy that surrounds every major sporting moment. The ad’s humour, mixed with star personalities, makes it instantly shareable—a necessary ingredient for global virality. This ensures the brand becomes not just a spectator of football fandom, but an active participant in its creation.

Lay’s presence at the World Cup also reinforces its long-standing association with the football ecosystem. From sponsoring UEFA Champions League campaigns to partnering with global ambassadors, the brand has invested significantly in building credibility within football culture. The 2026 World Cup collaboration elevates this commitment, positioning Lay’s not merely as an advertiser but as a cultural companion to the game. For brands, relevance is currency, and Lay’s is leveraging a moment when football enthusiasm will peak to strengthen its emotional bond with consumers.

Much of the campaign’s charm lies in its celebration of football as a shared global experience. The sport transcends geography, language, and background, and Lay’s is tapping into this universality with a campaign rooted in humour, community, and nostalgia. For fans who grew up idolising Beckham’s free kicks, Messi’s dribbles, Henry’s finesse, or Putellas’ historic dominance in women’s football, seeing them in a lighthearted ad creates instant recall and emotional engagement. And adding Steve Carell—a face associated with comedic universes more than football—injects an element of unexpected delight that broadens the appeal beyond sports fans.

As the countdown to the FIFA World Cup 26™ begins, Lay’s is positioning itself as a brand that doesn’t just ride the wave of cultural events but amplifies them. The campaign marks the start of a multi-year journey where Lay’s aims to be present in every global conversation leading up to the tournament. From World Cup qualifiers to team announcements, from fan predictions to match-day gatherings, the brand wants to be woven into the ritualistic fabric of football fandom.

“No Lay’s, No Game” isn’t just a tagline being revisited; it’s being reinvented for a generation that experiences sports in deeply social, emotional, and connected ways. The message is clear: when the world watches the World Cup in 2026, Lay’s wants to make sure there’s a spot for a packet of chips next to every screen, every sofa, and every group of cheering fans worldwide.