Why this year's World Cup is happening at the perfect time for struggling Nike

Nike 's recovering business needs a spark. This year's World Cup — hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico — could be the match. "Football [soccer] allows us to invite more people in places of the world where we probably cannot reach with other sports," Camilo Andrade, head of football at Nike, told CNBC in an interview. Remember, soccer is called football in most countries outside of America. "That's why football is an accelerator of Nike sport-led offense. It's an accelerator also of who we are," Andrade added. Oregon-based Nike made its first major push onto the global soccer scene during the 1994 men's World Cup, the last time it was held in the United States. Every tournament, including the women's World Cup, is a chance for Nike to showcase its latest innovations, athlete partnerships, and product launches. The 2026 men's World Cup kicked off on June 11. Team USA's first game the next day was a 4-1 win over Paraguay. Game 2 is on Friday against Australia. The next women's World Cup is next year in Brazil. The international reach of the men's and women's World Cup matches is massive. The 2022 men's tournament in Qatar reached roughly 5 billion fans globally across all media platforms, according to FIFA, the world's governing body of soccer. The 2023 women's World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand, drew 2 billion in total engagement. …