The nation’s top brewer is betting that beer — traditional cerveza as well as the increasingly popular non-alcoholic variety — will help make Mexico the best host country of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Grupo Modelo has revealed an aggressive plan to put its flagship brands in stadiums, fan zones, corner stores and restaurants across Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
“We have very high expectations of delivering the best experience ever seen at a World Cup, and we think that Mexico will clearly be the best of the three venues,” Alejandro Gershberg, Grupo Modelo’s sponsorship director, told Sports Illustrated México.
The 48-team men’s soccer tournament in Mexico, the United States and Canada will open June 11 at Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca, which has sold naming rights to Banorte in a sponsorship deal.
And although Mexico will host just 13 of the record 104 matches, authorities expect more than 800,000 fans in stadiums and more than 6 million people at fan fests and public viewing areas nationwide — plus 5.5 million foreign visitors between May and July.
Backed by global giant AB InBev, Grupo Modelo controls some of Mexico’s best-known beers, including Corona, Pacífico, Negra Modelo and Modelo Especial, along with primarily domestic labels Victoria and León.
Corona is Mexico’s best-selling beer and among the world’s top five most-consumed beers.
In 2023, Modelo Especial moved past Bud Light as the top-selling beer in the U.S., remaining No. 1 by dollar sales since then, though Michelob Ultra has edged ahead on volume.
According to industry sources, Mexican beer accounts for roughly 80% of all beer imported into the U.S. in recent years. Also, Mexico accounts for about 30-36% of the world’s beer exports, which by volume surpasses that of any other country by more than double.
Mexico City-based Modelo employs nearly 30,000 workers at 10 breweries nationwide and also operates bottle-making and malt-processing plants.
The 2022 Qatar World Cup provided an unexpected dress rehearsal for Modelo’s World Cup strategy.
Less than two days before kickoff, FIFA banned alcohol sales inside Qatar’s eight host stadiums, forcing AB InBev to pivot to Budweiser Zero, its non-alcoholic variant, while limiting full-strength beer to fan fests and other approved sites.
Gershberg said that shift “helped demonstrate that when there’s soccer, there’s beer, and it doesn’t necessarily have to have alcohol,” opening the door for wider adoption of products such as Budweiser Zero and Corona Cero.
Non-alcoholic beer has since become one of the industry’s fastest-growing segments. NielsenIQ data cited by Gershberg show no-alcohol beer sales rising at an annual rate of 30% over the past five years, 15 times faster than traditional beer.
The World Cup is also feeding into a broader consumption boom.
The Mexican Franchise Association projects 6% growth in the franchise sector in 2026, driven partly by World Cup-related spending and local promotions (pop-ups, viewing parties, special menu offerings, delivery promos, etc.) tied to the World Cup.
Restaurant leaders forecast match-day sales spikes of up to 15% in the host markets.
With reports from Sports Illustrated México and Mexico Business News
