Throughout the FIFA World Cup, McDonald’s transformed restaurants, shopping malls, and community spaces across Saudi Arabia’s Western, Southern, and Tabuk regions into destinations where fans and families could experience the excitement of football together. From exclusive collectibles and live match screenings to interactive competitions and family activations, the campaign gave customers multiple ways to take part in the tournament beyond simply watching the matches.
The journey began with the launch of the FIFA Meal, accompanied by exclusive FIFA Collectible Cups featuring six football stars. Supported by social media and on-ground activations, the initiative invited customers to collect or win the complete six cup set, creating excitement from the opening stages of the tournament while encouraging fans to return throughout the campaign.
“We wanted to create a complete tournament-inspired experience filled with excitement and fun,” said Mohammed Ali Reza, General Manager of Reza Food Services Co. Ltd.
As anticipation around the tournament grew, McDonald’s brought the action into its restaurants by transforming five selected locations into football destinations with large match-viewing screens. The restaurants became gathering places where customers could enjoy the matches together in a lively atmosphere with friends and family.
The excitement extended beyond the screenings themselves. Interactive football games, match prediction activities, Q&A competitions, exclusive Collector Set giveaways, influencer content, and live event coverage created an engaging matchday experience while keeping the conversation going across McDonald’s digital platforms.
One of the campaign’s defining moments came with Saudi Arabia’s first female-only FIFA World Cup Watch Party, hosted at McDonald’s South Obhur Branch. The event featured female-only staff, football-themed décor, music, interactive games, giveaways, and professional event coverage, creating a dedicated space for female football fans to come together and celebrate the tournament.
Around 150 guests attended the activation, including well-known female football players and leading lifestyle and sports influencers, with the event receiving highly positive feedback from attendees.
“This activation reflected our belief in creating meaningful experiences that connect with the community,” Mohammed Ali Reza, General Manager of Reza Food Services Co. Ltd. said.
The campaign continued to build momentum beyond the restaurants through family-focused activations across five of the region’s largest shopping malls. Face painting, goal challenge games, interactive football experiences, and giveaways created memorable moments for children and their families while extending the excitement of the FIFA World Cup into community spaces.
More than 3,300 children participated in the mall activations, while FIFA-themed activities across 21 McDonald’s restaurants engaged an additional 1,990 children, allowing even more families to take part in the celebration.
Digital engagement supported every stage of the campaign by promoting the FIFA Meal, Collectible Cups, Happy Meal, match screenings, and key activations across McDonald’s social media channels. Influencer coverage and live content amplified each experience, extending the campaign’s reach well beyond its physical locations.
The campaign concluded by bringing the experience full circle, with competitions and digital engagement continuing to encourage customers to complete their FIFA Collectible Cup collections. By connecting each activation—from the FIFA Meal launch and match screenings to community events, family experiences, and online engagement—McDonald’s created a campaign that evolved throughout the tournament, giving customers new reasons to participate, celebrate, and share in the excitement of the FIFA World Cup.
