Soccer Fans Will See How ‘Dairy Does More’

Soccer is often called “The World’s Game” and good reason.

There are an estimated 4 billion soccer fans globally and hundreds of millions of active players across more than 200 countries.

No sporting event captures that audience quite like the upcoming FIFA Men’s World Cup, which draws billions of viewers and creates a truly shared global moment.

The 2026 tournament is especially significant as it will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and will feature a record 104 matches, June 11 through July 19.

For dairy farmers and importers investing in the checkoff, this scale represents an important opportunity to connect with consumers during one of the world’s biggest cultural moments.

As Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) and state and regional checkoff teams continue building momentum behind the new “Dairy Does More” platform, this soccer tournament gives us an opportunity to reinforce there are many reasons for dairy – from nutrition and performance to recovery and everyday enjoyment – while connecting with consumers in places they may not traditionally expect dairy messaging.

Our goal is to reignite relevance and make dairy feel more special to more people, and we have an opportunity to do that through this event.

What makes this effort especially important is the way the checkoff federation is working together around it. This is a coordinated effort by DMI and state and regional teams to maximize the full 15-cent dairy checkoff investment.

Across the country, dairy organizations are building programs tailored to their own markets while aligning behind broader dairy messaging and strategy. Dairy MAX, Dairy West, Midwest Dairy and American Dairy Association North East have developed strategies tied to the tournament.

The collaboration demonstrates how the checkoff can operate as a unified system around major cultural moments. By coordinating messaging, sharing creative resources and amplifying one another’s efforts, the federation can stretch the checkoff investment further while creating stronger consumer impact.

Dairy MAX has played an important role in leading efforts across participating organizations, including work connected to Mexico, an important export market for U.S. dairy products, particularly cheese.

Leveraging the U.S. Dairy Export Council’s “Queso Lovers” platform, the checkoff is working to connect U.S. cheese products with soccer fans and consumers in culturally relevant ways.

Other activations will look different depending on the market. Some organizations are planning retail promotions and partnerships. Others are developing consumer advertising, digital and social media efforts and e-commerce integrations.

Many efforts will focus around host cities and major markets including Seattle, Dallas, Philadelphia, New York City and Indianapolis, while extending into communities where soccer participation and fan support is growing rapidly.

These programs are designed to positively associate dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt with active lifestyles, sports nutrition, protein, recovery and daily performance.

This activation is an example of how the checkoff continues to evolve its marketing approach. Today’s consumers are influenced by culture, experiences and moments that capture their attention. To remain relevant, dairy must be part of those conversations.

The global attention surrounding the World Cup allows us to do exactly that.

As the event approaches, consumers will begin seeing dairy show up in new places and through new strategies. Our aim is to demonstrate how dairy can connect with consumers in modern and culturally relevant ways while showcasing the strength of a fully coordinated federation approach.

It is another example of how Dairy Does More – and how the federation is working together to make the full dairy checkoff investment work harder.

To learn more about your national dairy checkoff, visit DairyCheckoff.com or to reach us directly, send an email.