Lay’s, a brand that has been bringing people together for generations, is building on its commitment to celebrating soccer fandom by becoming an Official snack of both the FIFA World Cup 26™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™. The exciting new partnership brings together two titans – the world’s favorite chip brand and the world’s biggest and most popular single sporting event for men and women – to spread the joy of the game to millions of fans worldwide. As Official Sponsor, Lay’s, alongside an iconic portfolio of food brands including Doritos®, Cheetos®, Tostitos®, Ruffles®, Quaker® and Gamesa®, will bring fans closer to the game than ever before with exclusive experiences, merchandise, consumer activations and more.
“Partnering with FIFA marks a significant milestone for our business and ambition to embed Lay’s and our extended portfolio of food brands deeper into football culture,” said Jane Wakely, Chief Consumer and Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer, International Foods – Lay’s. “Football is one of the world's biggest passion points, and this historic partnership allows us to bring the excitement and reach of the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup together with the joy and fun of our iconic brands across the world.”
On announcing the deal, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino said: “We’re delighted to extend this partnership with Lay’s and strengthen our collaboration as we head into a historic period for FIFA and the wider soccer community. After being involved in the last FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup, we’re proud that Lay’s has shared in our trust, vision, and ideas for the development of the global game and has joined us on this journey into the future. Together, we will create special experiences for fans worldwide.”
The FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the first edition to feature 48 teams and to be hosted across three countries – United States, Mexico and Canada – while the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ will be held in South America for the first time in 2027. With the two tournaments set to make history, Lay’s is joining the hype by rewarding soccer fans in new and unexpected ways. The brand will break new ground in 2026 by recognizing and rewarding the “Fan of the Match” at every match, spotlighting those in the stands whose passion and energy bring the beautiful game to life, and providing them with one-of-a-kind experiences.
Additionally, Lay’s, and the full portfolio of food brands, will engage fans on a global scale via in-store and digital promotions leading up to the FIFA World Cup 26™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™. The brands will also be prominently featured on the pitch during every match through LED stadium display board exposure, press conference backdrops, as well as products sold across concession stands. Going beyond the stadiums, Lay’s and the iconic food portfolio will deliver immersive consumer experiences at FIFA official fan zones across host cities.
Lay’s has established a strong legacy with FIFA and the world of soccer fandom. The brand has led massive culture-defining initiatives, including the No Lay’s, No Game platform, which has created viral moments with soccer mega-stars like David Beckham and Thierry Henry. The legendary duo, earlier this year, stunned an entire stadium of 75,000 cheering fans as they orchestrated an epic hunt for Lay’s. The brand additionally launched the instantly iconic Oh Lay’scampaign which took the traditional “Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé” mantra and put a Lay’s twist on it with the help of the G.O.A.T., Lionel Messi.
Cooper sacked by Leicester after winless run
Leicester City have dismissed manager Steve Cooper after a run of four Premier League games without a win.
Cooper, who previously managed Leicester's rivals Nottingham Forest, only took charge of the Foxes for 15 games in all competitions.
He was appointed in June, after Enzo Maresca left to join Chelsea following Leicester's promotion back to the Premier League.
After going six league games without a win at the start of the season, Cooper appeared to have steadied the ship with victories over Bournemouth and Southampton.
However, a winless streak of four top-flight matches, in which Leicester lost to Forest, Manchester United and Chelsea, while drawing with Ipswich Town, has seen Cooper lose his position.
In a statement released on Sunday, Leicester confirmed Cooper's assistants Alan Tate and Steve Rands had also left the club, with Ben Dawson set to take charge until a replacement is appointed.
Former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter was reportedly in talks to join Leicester prior to Cooper's appointment in the summer.
The Foxes are 16th in the Premier League on 10 points after 12 games.
Southampton 2-3 Liverpool: Salah brace sends Reds eight points clear
Liverpool went eight points clear at the top of the Premier League as they came from behind to seal a thrilling 3-2 victory over Southampton at St Mary's.
Two second-half goals from Mohamed Salah turned Sunday's game on its head after Mateus Fernandes had given bottom club Southampton a surprise 2-1 lead.
Dominik Szoboszlai had given Liverpool a 30th-minute lead by curling home via the far post after Flynn Downes' dreadful clearance landed at his feet inside the area.
However, the outstanding Tyler Dibling was felled by Andrew Robertson for a Southampton penalty on the stroke of half-time. Adam Armstrong's spot-kick was repelled by Caoimhin Kelleher, but the striker kept his nerve to tuck home the equaliser.
Armstrong then turned provider when Fernandes swept home Southampton's second in the 56th minute, but their lead would not last.
Salah cushioned a searching Ryan Gravenberch pass beyond a stranded Alex McCarthy for 2-2 in the 65th minute, then saw his inswinging cross handled by Southampton substitute Yukinari Sugawara seven minutes from time.
The Egyptian scored what proved to be the winner from the resulting penalty, and he almost got a hat-trick when he crashed a shot off the base of the post in the 88th minute.
Southampton remain bottom of the table, five points adrift of 17th-placed Wolves. Liverpool, meanwhile, are sitting pretty ahead of next week’s meeting with Manchester City, who were routed 4-0 by Tottenham on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Salah helps Slot into history books
Despite a lacklustre defensive performance, Liverpool earned their 10th victory in 12 Premier League games this season (one draw, one defeat), thanks primarily to Salah's quality in attack.
Salah has become the first Liverpool player to score in five successive Premier League games since the Egyptian himself did so in seven straight matches in October 2021.
His penalty, meanwhile, was his 100th goal away from Anfield for the Reds across all competitions.
Slot has now joined former Chelsea bosses Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti as the fastest managers to reach 10 Premier League wins upon their arrival in the division.
Chelsea shake off fatigue against Man Utd to extend winning run
Chelsea had to overcome fatigue, and survive a late scare, to beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Women's Super League on Sunday.
Guru Reiten's 17th-minute penalty proved decisive at Kingsmeadow in a rearranged fixture that was postponed earlier in the campaign due to Chelsea's Champions League exploits.
United came close to ending Sonia Bompastor's remarkable winning run and keeping their unbeaten start going when Melvine Malard's effort clattered the crossbar, but Chelsea escaped unscathed to move five points clear of Manchester City at the top.
The Blues are just the second team in WSL history to win their first eight games of a season, after Arsenal in 2018-19.
And Bompastor was particularly pleased with how her team, who mustered 2.1 expected goals (xG) to United's 0.2, shrugged off the tiredness to get the job done.
"I think it was a tough game today, we were expecting that," Bompastor told the media, as reported by the Press Association.
"United do not concede a lot of goals so we knew they were coming with a good defensive organisation, and we had to have a really good game with the ball.
"Especially with the wind today, it was difficult for us to build and to play more, so I am just a bit disappointed at the fact we couldn't play more.
"Sometimes the most important thing is to get the three points, especially because we have been in a run playing five games in two weeks. I think the players are a little bit fatigued as well."
Chelsea have now won 11 consecutive WSL matches, which is their longest-ever winning run in the competition. The last team to have a longer winning run in the competition were Man City last season between November and April (14 in a row).
Maika Hamano and Sjoeke Nusken had early opportunities for the Blues, before Mayra Ramirez was brought down by United's Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who was unable to keep out Reiten's composed spot-kick.
Reiten has now netted six goals in her eight WSL appearances this term.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd wasted a good chance to put Chelsea further in front, when she elected to shoot rather than pass and her effort was blocked by Maya Le Tissier.
That profligacy might have proved costly in stoppage time, but the woodwork came to Chelsea's rescue after Malard got a shot off following a neat bit of skill to evade Millie Bright.
"Chelsea are the best team in the country, they're the champions for a reason. We said we would give everything from the off and the players have given everything," said United boss Marc Skinner, who was without injured striker Elisabeth Terland.
"Both teams had to play the conditions, but the pride I feel for the team and their commitment to what we're doing, and know we can do, I'm proud of their performance. For us it was about being calculated and always opening up more in the second half, we changed shape in the last 15 minutes to really give an attacking threat.
"We opened up, Chelsea took a few more opportunities. You have to balance the game, you go toe-to-toe with Chelsea and they probably win against most teams."
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