Media Statement

For Immediate Release

June 10, 2026 (Johannesburg) — A formidable coalition of global health experts and advocates is demanding FIFA commit to ending its partnership with Coca-Cola by 2030. The Kick Big Soda Out movement has targeted FIFA across major tournaments, where campaigners have accused Coca-Cola of sportswashing its health and environmental harms through stadium branding, broadcasts and social media. Despite sustained pressure, FIFA has failed to respond.

The tension is hard to ignore. Governments worldwide have introduced front-of-package warning labels and health taxes on sugary drinks — measures designed to protect public health and curb consumption of the very products Coca-Cola markets to millions of fans, especially children. FIFA’s commercial partnerships have long drawn scrutiny for the way they stand in direct opposition to these local health policies. Coca-Cola’s prominent presence at FIFA tournaments follows the same playbook — asking these same countries to spotlight one of the world’s biggest sweetened drink companies while sidelining regulations designed to protect public health.

“Sugary drinks are fuelling a global health crisis. Obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease are rising at alarming rates, and Coca-Cola’s aggressive marketing is a driving force behind that. FIFA reaches five billion people through this World Cup and has a responsibility to those fans. Lending that platform to one of the world’s biggest sugary drink companies sends entirely the wrong message. That is exactly why we are demanding FIFA chooses differently, ” says Nomfundo Mbuli Programmes manager at the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA).

Excess sugar consumption drives rising rates of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Big Soda’s aggressive marketing reaches millions, including children, influencing their preferences and purchases.

According to Mbuli “FIFA markets itself as a force for good for children, for communities, for the world. But you cannot champion the health of young people in one breath and sell their attention to the world’s biggest sugary drink company in the next. We are not asking FIFA to choose between football and health – we are asking them to choose both. This is FIFA’s moment to show that football truly belongs to the people – not to the corporations profiting from their ill health.”

Kick Big Soda Out has amassed over 523,000 supporters and the backing of 97 organizations since its launch during the 2024 Paris Olympics. The campaign’s ask is clear: FIFA must use the 2026 World Cup as a turning point, not another missed opportunity.

Join the movement demanding FIFA end its Coca-Cola partnership by 2030 at www.kickbigsodaout.org and use #KickBigSodaOutofSport to join the conversation.

Media Contact: Zukiswa Zimela, HEALA Communications Manager 0745210652 | zukiswa@heala.org

About HEALA: HEALA is a coalition of civil society organisations advocating for equitable access to affordable, nutritious food in South Africa by building a more just food system.