AB InBev Becomes Official Beer Partner for FIFA Club's World Cup 2025

The world’s leading brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV BUD, aka AB InBev, has elevated its collaboration with FIFA, becoming the Official Beer Partner for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, marking a significant milestone in its nearly 40-year relationship with the organization.The tournament set to take place in the United States from June 15, 2025, to July 13, 2025, will feature 32 top football clubs competing across 11 host cities, signaling a new era in global club football. AB InBev is also the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026, to be hosted across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.Insights Into BUD's InitiativesThe expanded partnership supports AB InBev's strategy of using its top brands and major events to connect with consumers. Leading brands like Budweiser and Michelob ULTRA will drive the partnership, with local beers included in some markets. Under the agreement, BUD will offer unique brand experiences, sponsor the 'Player of the Match Award,' and share tournament highlights with fans of legal drinking age.The continued and expanded partnership between AB InBev and FIFA reinforces the brewer’s strong global brand presence and strengthens its association with one of the world's most iconic sports events. Per the BUD management, this partnership with the FIFA Club World Cup continues its legacy of bringing beer and sports together for fans around the world, creating more moments of celebration and cheers.The expanded presence in key U.S. markets significantly boosts its domestic visibility. The multi-city exposure allows the company to engage directly with local audiences, reinforce its brand presence in the competitive U.S. market, and drive growth by leveraging regional fan bases.What’s MoreAB InBev has been gaining from continued consumer demand for its brand portfolio. The company’s pricing actions, continued premiumization and other revenue-management initiatives have been aiding its revenues. BUD has been focused on expanding its Beyond Beer portfolio, which has also been aiding the top line. Notably, the Beyond Beer portfolio contributed $365 million to the total revenues in the third quarter.AB InBev has been keen on making investments in its portfolio over the years, as well as rapidly growing its digital platform, including BEES and Zé Delivery. Its digital transformation initiatives have been on track, with B2B digital platforms contributing about 72% to its revenues in the third quarter. The company noted that the monthly active user base of BEES reached 3.9 million users. Its omnichannel, direct-to-consumer ecosystem of digital and physical products generated $350 million in revenues.However, BUD continues to face significant headwinds to unfavorable changes in taxes. In many regions, these taxes constitute a major chunk of the cost of beer that is charged to customers. Thus, any rise in excise taxes or indirect taxes on AB InBev’s products is likely to shift consumers’ preferences to other beverages and weigh upon the overall consumption of the company’s products, thus hurting its revenues and margins. Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have lost 11.4% in the past three months compared with the industry’s decline of 8.5%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchDespite the dynamic operating environment in some markets, the company’s strong global presence, diverse brand portfolio and commitment to disciplined resource allocation allow it to invest for the long term while achieving efficient and profitable growth.Three Picks You Can’t MissWe highlighted some better-ranked stocks from the broader Consumer Staples space, namely Ingredion INGR, Freshpet, Inc. FRPT and Vita Coco Company COCO.Ingredion is a solutions provider specializing in nature-based sweeteners, starches and nutrition ingredients. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). INGR has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 9.5%, on average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ingredion’s current financial-year EPS indicates growth of 12.5% from the year-ago reported numbers.Freshpet, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes and markets natural fresh meals and treats for dogs and cats, currently carrying a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). FRPT delivered an earnings surprise of 144.5% in the last reported quarter.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Freshpet’s current-fiscal year’s sales and earnings implies growth of 27.3% and 224.3%, respectively, from the year-ago reported number.Vita Coco develops, markets and distributes coconut water products under the Vita Coco brand name in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific. The company currently has a Zacks Rank of 2. COCO has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 17.6%, on average.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for COCO’s current financial-year sales and earnings suggests growth of 3.5% and 29.7%, respectively, from the year-ago reported figures.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.1% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Vita Coco Company, Inc. (COCO): Free Stock Analysis Report Freshpet, Inc. (FRPT): Free Stock Analysis Report Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (BUD): Free Stock Analysis Report Ingredion Incorporated (INGR): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks