CCEP and Panini team up to help retailers score big during FIFA World Cup 26™

• Exclusive Panini stickers hidden under promotional Coca-Cola 500ml bottle labels to drive repeat purchase and shopper engagement
• ‘Peel, Sip, Collect!’ mechanic encourages shoppers to collect all 12 exclusive stickers featuring international football stars
• Partnership forms part of CCEP’s biggest-ever FIFA World Cup™ activation

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners GB (CCEP) has announced a new partnership with Panini ahead of the FIFA World Cup 26™, bringing one of football’s most iconic collectibles directly into the soft drinks aisle to help retailers maximise sales during the tournament period.

Live now, shoppers can discover exclusive Panini stickers hidden underneath the labels of selected Coca-Cola bottles through a new “Peel, Sip, Collect!” mechanic. In total, 12 exclusive Coca-Cola Panini stickers featuring international football stars from nations competing in the FIFA World Cup 26™ are available to collect.

The exclusive stickers are designed to complement the Official Sticker Album of the FIFA World Cup 26™, encouraging shoppers to collect, swap and complete their albums throughout the tournament.

The partnership forms a central pillar of CCEP’s FIFA World Cup 26™ plans and is designed to help retailers tap into one of the biggest commercial opportunities in the sporting calendar.

The World Cup opportunity

Football remains one of the strongest passion points for UK consumers, reaching close to 80% of the population and over-indexing strongly among Gen Z[1]. The FIFA World Cup 26™ is set to be the biggest tournament in history, expanding to 48 teams and more than 100 matches, with billions of fans expected to engage globally throughout the competition[2].

Major football tournaments consistently deliver strong sales uplifts across soft drinks, driven by increased demand linked to match-day viewing, social occasions and top-up shopping missions. Evening fixtures in particular are associated with higher incremental spend across food and drink categories[3].

Retailers can access to dedicated POS materials and activation support via MyCCEP.com to help drive visibility and create standout theatre in-store.

Rob Yeomans, Vice-President, Commercial Development at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners GB, said: “The FIFA World Cup 26™ represents one of the biggest retail opportunities in the calendar, creating huge demand across social and matchday occasions. With the tournament set to be the biggest ever, it provides a massive platform for retailers to engage shoppers at scale.

“Panini stickers are an iconic part of football culture and this partnership gives retailers a powerful way to drive repeat purchase and shopper engagement throughout the tournament. By integrating exclusive stickers underneath promotional Coca-Cola pack labels, we’re creating a compelling reason for shoppers to keep returning to store as they build their collections.

“This activity is designed to increase shopper frequency, create standout in-store theatre and help retailers maximise soft drinks sales during one of the most commercially important moments of the year.”

The Panini partnership sits alongside CCEP’s wider FIFA World Cup 26™ activation plans across its portfolio, including activity for Powerade as the Official Sports Drink of FIFA World Cup 26™, supported by its global “Power Your Fate” campaign and new Powerade FIFA Playstyles limited-edition range.