Red = Pizzas: The curious campaign of a fast food chain for the World Cup

Weeks away from the start of the 2026 World Cup, Domino’s Pizza launched a campaign as eye-catching as it is risky to fully immerse itself in the football atmosphere: it will give away a million dollars in pizzas if a player from the United States national team is sent off during the competition.

The proposal combines marketing, football, and a bit of chance. To participate, fans must register on the official website of the company before June 10. If during the tournament any American player receives a red card, the chain will raffle more than 60,000 medium pizzas with two toppings among those who have signed up. Of course, there is a central condition: without a sending off, there will be no prize.

The statistics, however, do not play too much in favor of the promotion. The United States has participated in 12 World Cups and has only suffered expulsions in two editions: one in the 1994 World Cup and two in Germany 2006. In the tournament held on American soil, Eric Wynalda saw red against Czechoslovakia. Later, in the edition on German soil, the players sent off were Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope, both in a match against Italy.

Beyond this, the campaign aims to take advantage of the growing interest in football in the land of the stars and stripes, especially looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, which will feature the stars and stripes country as one of the hosts alongside Mexico and Canada. In recent years, the sport has gained ground in the North American market driven by the growth of MLS, international tournaments, and the influence of video games related to football.

In the lead-up to the World Cup, the North American team will play two friendly matches in preparation: one against Senegal on May 31 in Charlotte and another against Germany on June 6 in Chicago.

Already at the World Cup, the team coached by Argentine Mauricio Pochettino will be in Group D alongside Paraguay, Turkey, and Australia. Their debut will be against the South Americans on June 12 in California, then they will face the Turks on the 19th in Seattle and return to California to close the first phase against the Australians on June 25.