Paula’s Choice scores FIFA World Cup sponsorship as sports and beauty converge

Paula’s Choice has been named the Official Skincare Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, as beauty brands increasingly turn to sport to expand cultural relevance and connect skin care with performance, resilience, and wellness.

The Unilever-owned brand launched its new global campaign, “Proud Supporter of Your Skin,” alongside the announcement. Centered around a promotional film titled The Beautiful Game, the campaign positions skin care as part of a “performance mindset,” linking product efficacy to high-pressure environments experienced by athletes and fans alike.

Real results for performance drivers 

Faiz Ahmad, CEO of Paula’s Choice, says the partnership reflects the brand’s emphasis on “high-performing skin care that delivers real results.”

“At the World Cup, that performance is everywhere — in the athletes, the fans, and the environments people move through,” Ahmad says. “Our role is to support people and their skin in those moments.”

The campaign will roll out globally through out-of-home advertising, digital channels, and social media activations ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will take place across Mexico, Canada, and the US from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Brazil will host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 from June 24 to July 25, 2027.

Beauty’s positioning in the sports arena

Paula’s Choice joins a growing list of beauty and personal care brands using sport as a platform to engage consumers around well-being, confidence, and performance-driven lifestyles.

Earlier this month, Dove Men+Care launched its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, “Care for Your Skin Like You Care for the Game,” focused on the physical impact of fan rituals such as body paint, sun exposure, and long match-day celebrations.

The Unilever men’s grooming brand is using creator partnerships, experiential activations, and limited-edition product launches tied to tournament ticket giveaways.

Beauty and personal care brands are using sport as a platform to engage consumers around well-being, confidence, and performance-driven lifestyles.The broader crossover between beauty and sport is also accelerating through team sponsorships and athlete partnerships.

Maybelline New York has partnered with Rugby Olympic-medalist Illona Maher for its “Only in Matte Ink” campaign, promoting the brand’s Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipstick. L’Oréal Paris previously expanded its collaboration with Arsenal Women. You can read more on both these power plays here. 

E.L.F. announced partnerships with the San Diego Wave football club and Kansas City Current, becoming the first beauty sponsor of National Women’s Soccer League teams. 

Meanwhile, Clinique became the first beauty partner of the England women’s national rugby union team, and natural deodorant brand Wild appointed Emma Raducanu as a global ambassador.

From “clean girl” to active glow

The trend also reflects changing consumer attitudes toward beauty, with brands increasingly linking skin care and cosmetics to movement, recovery, and well-being rather than purely aesthetics.

Sportswear company Asics recently launched its “Get The Glow” campaign, promoting exercise as a route to confidence and post-workout radiance. The campaign highlights unfiltered post-exercise imagery and positions movement as an alternative to overly curated beauty standards shaped by filters and intensive routines.

The company says growing online interest in “glow” beauty trends helped inform the campaign direction, particularly as consumers increasingly associate skin appearance with sleep, stress, exercise, and overall wellness.

For beauty brands, sports partnerships offer access to highly engaged global audiences while reinforcing narratives around endurance, sweat-proof performance, and emotional resilience.