South Korea – Kia Corporation has unveiled a new global brand campaign, “Inspiration connects us all,” as it prepares for its role in the FIFA World Cup 2026, placing youth engagement and global connection at the centre of its messaging.
A central feature of the campaign is the Kia Official Match Ball Carrier (OMBC) programme, which will bring 104 children aged 10 to 14 onto the pitch to deliver the official match ball before each game. Kia is expanding the initiative with the first-ever Kia OMBC Cup, a youth tournament selected through local try-outs and supported by former football stars, including global ambassador Thierry Henry.
Henry also leads a trio of campaign teaser videos introducing the narrative arc. The first video unveils the concept of the “49th Team” through Kia’s own mock draw event, symbolising a team beyond the 48 official World Cup nations. This is followed by a second video that features Henry in an interview, hinting that he may lead this symbolic team. Lastly, the third video, titled The Next Legend, shows Henry driving an OMBC participant to the stadium in a Kia vehicle, reinforcing the campaign’s themes of inspiration and connection.
Chang Sung Ryu, senior vice president and head of Kia’s global brand & customer experience division, commented, “The FIFA World Cup is more than a sporting event; it is a cultural celebration that brings the world together. This campaign embodies Kia’s core message, ‘Inspiration connects us all’, and aims to help fans around the globe enjoy their experience to the fullest, reflecting the company’s vision as a sustainable mobility solutions provider that enables connection and inspiration beyond the road.”
Kia is complementing the campaign with FIFA World Cup 2026–themed display features for its vehicles, including customised cluster graphics, themed navigation displays, and start-up animations. The first release, the Global Display Theme, is now available on the Kia Connect store in the U.S., Korea, and Europe. A total of 17 themes will be rolled out ahead of the tournament, including host-country designs and OMBC Cup™ team variations.
The campaign was developed with Footballco, Kia’s newly appointed partner for its World Cup 2026 activity across ten markets. Footballco is overseeing strategy, creative production, talent management and global distribution, activating the work through media brands such as GOAL and Koora, which reach more than 720 million fans worldwide. Its remit spans the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Spain and the U.K.
The campaign launched on Friday with the first teaser film released in parallel with the official FIFA World Cup Final Draw, introducing the “49th Team” concept. A follow-up teaser featuring Henry addressing rumours of a new team further builds the narrative ahead of the tournament next year.
Nick Livingstone, vice president of APAC at Footballco, said, “Kia has been a committed partner of the FIFA World Cup for many years, and they understand better than anyone how uniquely powerful this tournament is in inspiring and connecting fans. This partnership reflects the confidence in Footballco’s ability to deliver a campaign of this scale and to bring together our full suite of capabilities from creative development and production to talent management and media distribution.”
“Footballco has a long history of helping global brands stand out on the world’s biggest football stages, and we know how competitive the World Cup landscape can be. That’s why we’re proud to collaborate with Kia on The 49th Team, and we’re looking forward to unveiling each phase of the campaign as we build towards the tournament next summer,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jae Hong Park, vice president and head of Kia’s global marketing communications group, said, “Footballco have demonstrated a vision and ambition for The 49th Team which matches our own. With a pedigree for creating and delivering on campaigns that both entertain and engage fans and demonstrating an insight into global fandom, we’re excited for what’s to come.”
