This summer, The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, Ga., and 7-Eleven Inc., Irving, Texas, are teaming up for the world’s most-watched sporting event and inviting fans to celebrate like never before, the companies said. Fans have a chance to get into the games, in what is anticipated to be approximately 61,000 participating 7-Eleven stores in 14 countries — the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea, Norway, Denmark and United Arab Emirates — and Hong Kong, they added.

Each country is putting its own spin on the international football/soccer tournament with exclusive Coca-Cola 2018 FIFA World Cup products, prizes and promotions, available while supplies last, the companies said.

“This program was built from the ground up with input from key stakeholders around the world and designed with varying pathways to give each country the opportunity to participate in a way that made sense for their market,” said Jennifer Hale, global director of shopper marketing strategy, at Coca-Cola, in a statement.

Jerome Del Porto, 7-Eleven vice president of international operations, added:  “When 7-Eleven first teamed up with Coke for the 2014 World Cup, we had about 35,000 stores participating. This year, that number is almost double.

“That’s more stores than any other international retailer or restaurant,” he continued. “7-Eleven wanted to play big to match the enthusiasm of its fan around the world. Thanks to the support of Coca-Cola, 7-Eleven was able to take the field with the biggest international promotion in company history.”  

Coca-Cola and 7-Eleven began working together more than a year ago to produce an exclusive shopper experience for soccer fans around the world, the companies said. Coca-Cola has sponsored the FIFA World Cup since 1978, they added.