Beckham, Shakira cash in with nearly €40m World Cup jackpot

Spain may have lifted the trophy on the pitch, but off it, Sir David Beckham and Shakira emerged as the undisputed commercial champions of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

According to market analysts cited by The Mirror and The Sun, the former England captain pocketed an estimated £19 million (over €22 million) from advertising contracts during the tournament, which ran from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Colombian pop superstar Shakira earned approximately £15 million (€17.5 million) through commercial partnerships, performances and the tournament’s official anthem. Together, the two celebrities raked in nearly €40 million.

Beckham’s advertising blitz

Despite hanging up his boots more than a decade ago, the 51-year-old Inter Miami co-owner was one of the most recognisable faces of the tournament, appearing in almost every commercial break. Beckham secured advertising deals with 11 global brands: Adidas, Bank of America, EA Sports, Home Depot, Lay’s, Lenovo, McDonald’s, Ninja Kitchen, Pepsi, Stella Artois and Verizon.

Brand and culture expert Nick Ede told The Sun: “Despite being frequently criticised, international brands clearly believe that his name, his social media presence and his global fame retain considerable marketing value during events watched by billions of people.”

Beckham’s influence in the United States — where he is co-owner of Inter Miami and played for five years at LA Galaxy — proved invaluable. His son, Brooklyn Beckham, also benefited, earning approximately $1 million (€753,000) from a DoorDash commercial.

Shakira’s World Cup return

The 49-year-old Colombian singer, who has now graced four World Cups, strengthened her deep ties to the tournament by performing at both the opening ceremony and the final halftime show, delivering a rendition of Dai Dai alongside Burna Boy. Shakira co-wrote and performed the official FIFA World Cup 2026 song in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million to expand access to education and football opportunities for children worldwide. She also headlined the historic final halftime show alongside Madonna, Justin Bieber and BTS.

Beyond performance fees, the global visibility triggered a massive surge in her worldwide streaming figures.

Other celebrity earners

Pop star Justin Bieber earned around £12 million (€14 million) for co-headlining the halftime show and commercial deals. Actor Timothée Chalamet also banked approximately £12 million through fashion partnerships, including a campaign for Adidas. BLACKPINK’s Lisa earned £9 million (€10.5 million) after starring in Nike’s main World Cup campaign. Kim Kardashian secured £8 million (€9.4 million) with a cameo in Nike’s global campaign and prime-time appearances. Madonna earned £4 million (€4.7 million) for her halftime performance.

The 2026 World Cup shattered viewership records, with over 62 million viewers in the United States alone for the final between Spain and Argentina, while FIFA’s digital platforms surpassed 20 billion video views.