The Spanish Defender of Real Madrid #20 Francisco García fight for the ball with the Spanish striker of Barcelona #19 Lamine Yamal during the Spanish League football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF in Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona, on May 11, 2025.
Gene lluis | AFP | Getty images
Walmart He is taking his brand to the biggest game in football.
The largest retailer in the nation plans to announce on Thursday an association with the Spanish Football League, as it seeks to expand its support point in football and capitalize on its growing Fandom in the United States.
According to the association, Walmart will become the first present partner of “El Classic” de la Liga, a confrontation of rivalry between its two power teams: FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF.
“The team with the League and the classic allows Walmart to boost energy to create unforgettable experiences and give fans more ways to celebrate the game they love,” said Walmart Marketing director William White, CNBC in an interview. “Ultimately, Walmart is looking to facilitate fans to participate and participate in the game.”
The association will include a new logo with Walmart as the present partner for the confrontation of rivalry, which will be used in the United States and Canada and debut this season.
The rivalry game dates back to 1929 and has routinely attracted 650 million viewers in more than 180 countries, according to Walmart and La Liga.
The first the classic, which translates into “The Classic” in Spanish, of the 2025-26 season is scheduled for October 26 in Madrid, with the second game on May 10 in Barcelona.
Walmart and the League will launch the association before the first confrontation with a full weekend of admirers in Houston from October 24. The association will include large -scale visualization parties, concerts, meetings with old stars, shared brand goods and retail promotions.
“The United States is the main market for the league [La Liga] In terms of audience and businesses outside Spain, “said Boris Gartner, partner and president of Relay Sports, who together with the League formed the North American Venture of 50-50 Venture to represent the Spanish League in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America.
The North America League manages the rights of the media and commercial agreements of the League.
“It's not just about slapping two logos next to each other. This is a true association with what we are building,” Gartner said.
The Spanish power clubs in Real Madrid and Barcelona have been home to some of the greatest world names in football, including the superstar Lionel Messi, who played for Barcelona until 2021 and now plays for the Inter Miami de Major League Soccer, and more recently the young French star Kylian Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid.
In the US. Disney's ESPN transmits the league games on its transmission and television networks. The company said that in August the 2024-2025 season was the most successful for the League on ESPN platforms so far, with 5.4 billion minutes seen in its networks and transmission services.
The Several Years Agreement of the Spanish League with Walmart is destined to build on this growing audience for the League football in the United States, as well as in the growing base of football fans before the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“We entered knowing that the World Cup was happening in 2026 and that the sport was growing significantly in the United States, and that we needed to be part of that growth not only from a commercial perspective for the league in the large media market in the world, but also with the opportunity to help feed the growth of sport,” Gartner said.
In July, Walmart reached a several years with MLS to become an official sponsor and partner of the League. At the beginning of May, the MLS sponsorship revenues increased two digits compared to 2024, CNBC reported earlier this year. Similarly, the US Football Fan base has increased, particularly since Messi joined the MLS ranks in 2023.
