Poland’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup is not just a sporting disappointment. It also means lost exposure for domestic clothing brands that had built their marketing around the national team, missing out on one of the world’s biggest commercial stages.
The tournament, set to be the largest in history, is expected to attract around 6.5 million spectators at stadiums in North America, including 2.6 million international visitors, generating an estimated $9 billion in GDP. For brands, this translates into an unparalleled platform for communication and sales.
In recent years, fashion has become a key part of the football ecosystem. Major labels, including luxury brands, compete not just for match kits but also for the off-pitch image of national squads. Poland’s absence means fewer opportunities for partner brands to reach global audiences.
Fashion and football: a growing bond
The Polish clothing company Lancerto, a sponsor and technical partner of the Polish Football Association (PZPN) since 2024, is one of the brands that will feel the absence most. The company dressed the national team’s coach during Euro 2024 and the World Cup qualifiers. – Of course every sponsor wishes the team success, because major tournaments build emotions, community and a natural communication context. But sport has this quality: success cannot be planned or guaranteed. A sponsor has no influence over the match result, so in mature sponsorship you have to be prepared both for victories and for difficult moments – said Michał Grochala, director of brands and communication at G8 S.A., owner of Lancerto and Próchnik 1948.
Earlier, Vistula dressed the Polish team for formal occasions during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Fans could buy elements of the collection inspired by the national squad’s attire, proving the commercial potential of such partnerships. Today, VRG, Vistula’s owner, says the brand no longer dresses the national team, but the mechanism remains valid: a big tournament is still a highly attractive stage for fashion brands.
A different kind of ambassador
Lancerto is now turning its attention to a different representative of Polish football on the world stage: referee Szymon Marciniak. The only Pole to have officiated a World Cup final, Marciniak will be in charge of matches at the 2026 tournament. The brand launched a campaign called „Szymon’s Choice”. – Poland today has an absolutely unique figure in world football – Szymon Marciniak and his team of referees. He is one of the most recognisable Polish representatives of football on the international stage. For a brand like Lancerto, which talks about professionalism, class, quality and off-pitch confidence, this is a very coherent area of communication – said Michał Grochala. The brand stresses that this partnership is not a simple replacement for the national team’s absence; Marciniak has been an ambassador for Lancerto since 2023.
Grochala admits that missing the World Cup is a tangible loss for communication. – The absence of the national team at the World Cup is felt by every partner associated with football. The World Cup is the biggest football stage, huge media interest, strong fan emotions and a natural pretext for communication. The absence of the white and reds means less exposure directly linked to the national team – he said. However, he adds that sponsorship must be approached long-term. – We feel a bit like the 12th player of this team: we are with it when it wins, but also when disappointment comes. That is exactly when you see best if the partnership is merely a marketing transaction or a real relationship built on shared values.
Sponsoring beyond results
The case of Lancerto shows that the value of sports sponsorship goes beyond results on the pitch. While the World Cup offers a unique stage, a brand can still build presence through other figures and projects. The referee, as a symbol of professionalism and reliability, provides a different but equally powerful angle for a fashion brand. The campaign around Marciniak allows Lancerto to maintain visibility during the tournament, even without the national team on the field.
For the Polish fashion industry, the missed World Cup is a reminder that a nation’s success on the pitch translates directly into economic and marketing opportunities. As brands like Lancerto adapt their strategies, the broader lesson is that long-term commitment and creative use of alternative ambassadors can mitigate some of the loss.
Źródło: wnp.pl, Fot. EPA/JOSE MENDEZ / PAP
