Walmart's guided store tours during the 2026 World Cup attracted mostly American shoppers, not the international visitors expected. The retailer hosted tours with soccer stars but drew a local crowd.
Walmart's guided store tours during the 2026 World Cup drew mostly American shoppers, not the international visitors the retailer had expected, according to attendees at the final event in East Brunswick, New Jersey.
The retailer partnered with Spain's LaLiga to offer tours that included appearances by retired stars Carles Puyol and Radamel Falcao. Guests received VIP lanyards, giveaway bags, and small passports stamped at stops featuring peanut butter, ground beef, soccer jerseys, and ranch dressing. The tours were Walmart's effort to capitalize on viral videos showing international fans celebrating inside its stores.
The crowd at the East Brunswick tour, held about 30 miles from MetLife Stadium where Argentina and Spain would play the final, was overwhelmingly American. Karl Marttz, who drove 40 minutes from North New Jersey with his children, told Business Insider he came mostly for the player meet-and-greet. "As a person who lives near another Walmart, it was … eh," he said.
A Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider the tours were designed "to be relevant for first-time or longtime fans" and that the company was "happy from all of the positive feedback." The retailer sold about $35 in merchandise per guest through the giveaway bags, though the tours themselves were free.
The phenomenon reflects Walmart's unique position as both a cornerstone of American consumerism and a destination for everyday goods that fascinate foreign visitors. Earlier in the tournament, a group of Australian fans turned a Dallas Walmart's produce section into an impromptu party, chanting "We're going to Walmart!" in videos that went viral.
After the tour, a thunderstorm forced organizers to move the meet-and-greet indoors, putting the soccer stars under the same roof as the passport-holding shoppers. Nearly everyone interviewed said they planned to watch the final on television the next day. One woman told the group she was heading to MetLife Stadium to see Lionel Messi in person. "I am so excited," she said.
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