World Cup 2026 is on the horizon and the gears are turning for what promises to be the most expansive tournament in history, in North America this summer – but this competition isn't just about the 104 matches taking place in the United States, Mexico and Canada… it's also about the culture surrounding the beautiful game.
This summer, Lay's are bridging the gap between the stadium and the sofa, with their now-iconic ‘No Lay's, No Game’ campaign back again with a star-studded line-up. Fans are invited into the inner circle – quite literally – via WhatsApp groups with footballing legends this summer, and an exciting ‘Fan of the Match’ initiative.
So FourFourTwo sat down with Thierry Henry, who's experienced this tournament as a a player, a coach and a pundit, to to talk about why connection matters, and how Lay's are getting fans closer to the action of the big tournament.
“Nothing beats being on the field and behind closed doors,” says Thierry Henry, on the new ‘No Lay's, No Game’ campaign
“It's kind of a cliche thing, right, but we all know that without the fans, it would be difficult to have a proper event,” Henry tells FourFourTwo. “We all know players are important and everything is important, but if you don't have the fans, it's not really the same thing. The atmosphere of the World Cup in the country, people getting really excited before the tournament in order to get that excitement – you need to have fans.
“I had the opportunity to be with Lay's for a little while now and be involved in this campaign, and that connection happened more often than not. I'm sure you saw the campaigns before, off the field, and now trying to bring the fans to have some connection.”
With the way that fans consume the game evolving from the big screen to handheld, Lay's is now tapping into fan engagement in a fascinating way, bringing a a first-of-its-kind WhatsApp group to life. Fans can literally peek into the conversations of a superstar squad with the Epic Watch Party Channel, featuring Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Alexia Putellas, Henry himself… and Steve Carell, of The Office US. We can't wait for his voice notes and memes on the football.
“With the WhatsApp group, [fans] being able to see what we talk about and what we do; that goes with the evolution of the world,” Henry says. And it's not the only initiative that gets supporters closer to the action, with a new ‘Fan of the Match’ introduced.
104 supporters – one for each World Cup game – will win the accolade and receive pitch-side access, premium match tickets, half-time stadium recognition on the jumbotron, and a custom Lay's Fan of the Match trophy.
“To be able to have the fans have that close to a game, after a game, meeting the guys, being there,” Henry tells us. “Sometimes you do that with the coverage because you're seeing that on the day, and you feel like you're on the field, but nothing beats being on the field and behind closed doors.
“Being able to see directly what can happen after games and to have that access, I think it's brilliant for the fans.”
Beyond the glitz of the chat and trophies, Lay’s is also focusing on the grassroots level through Lay’s RePlay. In partnership with Common Goal, they are bringing World Cup-style youth tournaments to cities across the globe, including the UK, the US, and Mexico. Crucially, these champions aren't chosen just for their skill, but for their values: these tournaments aren't just about finding the next Henry; they are about finding the next leaders, with RePlay Ambassadors eventually being sent to the World Cup to represent their communities.
The Lay's x FIFA World Cup 26 Fan Zone is watch party must. With games, quizzes, and exciting competitions, supporters can get closer to the action than ever before – so of course, we wanted to know if Thierry himself plans on attending any watch parties this summer.
“I'll be working, so my parties will be there!” he smailes. “But being able to bring people together is something that only the World Cup can produce. You all go to a pub or to someone's house, you bring your food, I bring the Lay's, you bring your drinks, whoever wants to bring whatever they want to bring, you bring your pizza, and that's what's nice with the whole campaign.
“But it's also important to be able to have that access with the fans. With the ‘No Lay's, No Game’ campaign, I thought that was a brilliant way of bringing the fans together in a nice way to be able to organise a party and invite them with us. You saw the last one – I'm not going to tell you what happened and what's been – but overall, the whole concept with the watch parties is what everyone's been doing here.”
The excitement for the tournament is building already.
“When I travel, I can feel it,” Henry nods. “I've been to Miami, and I've met Canadians or Mexicans waiting to see what's going to happen. It's always more palpable when you are in the country. You're waiting, excitement is coming, that's the talk of the town.”
