Nike took advantage of the FIFA World Cup by spotlighting its new, soccer-focused X2 collection through community watch parties and in retail spaces. The effort, which ran through June, shows how retail can expand with targeted experiences that match specific fan interests.

• Nike needs a turnaround in international markets, and its collaborations with FIFA World Cup teams around the world brought interest to them. In Europe and Africa, constant-currency sales fell 7% YoY in Q3 2026, EMARKETER reported.

By taking the X2 collection to key retail locations in the US, Nike banked on the excitement from US fans, as well as international fans visiting the host country.

X2 collection

In June, Nike introduced the X2 capsule collections for seven partner federations, including the US, Canada, England, France, Netherlands, Nigeria, and South Korea. Each partnership drafted a unique designer to create an original jersey design. Each federation also designated a youth sports organization to support.

The X2 collections feature designers who appeal to fashion and sports fans, while the connection to youth sports connects with sports parents, who are highly influenced by sponsorships.

• A full 67.3% of parents said they’d purchase a brand that sponsored their child’s youth sports program, according to a November and December 2025 survey taken by sponsorship agency Priority Partnerships and YouGov Sport.

Virgil Abloh Archive (VAA) designed the US jersey kit for the X2 collection, which benefits the Coalitions for Sport Equity.

The jerseys were worn by their respective teams “pre-match” before international friendly games in the lead-up to the World Cup, per Nike.

Connecting with the soccer community

As part of the FIFA World Cup rollout, Nike hosted watch parties in Los Angeles for three early group-round games, at Shoe Palace Melrose, and at Nike’s location at The Grove.

The multi-day events featured big screens for the games, team jerseys and apparel for sale, a customization station for merchandise, and food trucks, according to Brendan McDermott, CEO of Freeholder Group, the agency that designed the watch party spaces and retail spaces for the X2 collection.

The watch parties met demand from World Cup fans extending beyond those who secured high-demand tickets.

“Even if you could buy a ticket, there are only so many seats,” said McDermott. “And the fandom around some of these sports, especially soccer, is so big. Even a 60,000-seat stadium isn’t serving the appetite for everybody.”

The watch parties showed games played by the US and South Korea, two teams included in the X2 collection. A game played by Mexico was also part of the fan event, showcasing a team close to the hearts of the LA community.

“Fan parties are great,” McDermott said. “They give people a place to go, to be part of the community, to experience, whether consciously or subconsciously, a brand that’s putting it on.”

Retail takeover

Beyond the watch parties, Nike brought the X2 collection to an additional 22 local retailers in LA, New York, and Miami, stores with customers knowledgeable about exclusive merchandise drops. For these experiences, Freehold Group designed special walls based on displays used by soccer jersey vendors in the UK, providing a look intended to connect with serious soccer fans.

“The walls were sent to these stores to sort of drive energy around the World Cup and community,” McDermott explained. “The product was very well received. It reminded us of the old days when people lined up for sneakers, it was that kind of vibe. The product was very cool, very unique, and available in limited quantities, so it drove that hype.”

The walls featured the Nike jerseys, team flags, scarves, and stickers.

“It really did create a lot of high energy and anticipation for these collabs and products, which sold out basically immediately,” McDermott said.

Earlier this year, Nike’s Jordan Brand executed a community-driven shoe drop event across Los Angeles for the NBA All-Star game, with experiences also designed by Freehold Group.

“Soccer in America isn’t basketball in America,” said McDermott. “I think they’re very different sports, and very different audiences, and different perceptions. Soccer draws a much broader international community. You’ve got to make it simple: People want to watch the game and hang out, and have a good time.”

Building on FIFA World Cup excitement, and tapping into fan communities in the host nation and abroad, are important ways to drive retail sales as Nike mounts a turnaround, which Nike CEO Elliott Hills said late last year was in “the middle innings.”

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