FIFA is notorious for strict copyright rules. Here’s how Toronto businesses are navigating them

Alina Snisarenko · CBC News

· Posted: May 17, 2026 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 15 minutes ago

With tens of thousands of footy fans expected to descend onto the city for the World Cup, the tournament is being seen as a golden business opportunity by many local bars and restaurants.

But they have to walk a fine line around how they market themselves or risk violating FIFA’s intellectual guidelines, which are notoriously strict and could land them a cease and desist notice.  

To get a sense of FIFA's branding rules, CBC News went through its publicly shared intellectual property guidelines and its hosting addendum with the city.

Here’s what we found:

Words like 'World Cup' off limits

Unless a commercial establishment is a licensed partner, using words like “FIFA” and “World Cup” in marketing isn't allowed, according to FIFA’s guidelines. Using certain trademarked images, like the official World Cup trophy, is also off-limits. 

It may seem like a lot, but many high-profile sporting events engage in such practices out of commitment to their partners, said Cheri Bradish, a sports marketing professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, who also runs its Future of Sport Lab. 

“They [FIFA] work very hard to control the marketplace … because they need to protect the integrity, in theory, of those partners that have paid millions of dollars to be associated with the World Cup and FIFA as a brand,” she said.

FIFA's strict trademark rules are not uncommon for high-profile sporting events that only happen every two to four years, according to Cheri Bradish, a sports marketing professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

Some of FIFA’s official partners include Coca-Cola, The Home Depot and Adidas.  

In its guidelines, FIFA says businesses and the public can still celebrate the tournament by sticking to “generic football or country-related images” and terms. 

Special rules around stadiums

Toronto will host six FIFA matches at Toronto stadium, a venue that was temporarily renamed because of — take a guess — branding rules. 

The first game will be Canada versus Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12. On match days and days leading up to a match, there are stricter rules in place. 

FIFA’s website says the city must establish “clean zones” around stadiums and FIFA Fan Fest locations that “restrict the commercial activities of unauthorized businesses.” 

That means any promotional material for brands that could compete with FIFA or its partners would be prohibited. 

For example, if you’re a tour guide looking to bring a group to the game, you cannot visibly identify yourself with something like a wooden sign or shirt bearing your company logo at the stadium, according to the guidelines. 

Or if you’re Burger King, you can’t advertise within the clean zone because McDonald’s is an official FIFA sponsor.

WATCH | TTC's plans for World Cup commutes:

At Toronto stadium, there will be a clean zone that spans a two-kilometre radius, according to the city’s addendum. For Fan Fest, it’s 100 metres.

In an emailed statement, Sharon Bollenbach, the city’s executive director of the FIFA World Cup, said Toronto will use a mixture of educational outreach and bylaw enforcement to protect FIFA’s intellectual property.  

“We are helping local businesses understand the rules and encouraging them to follow them,” she said. 

“During the event, the City will increase bylaw enforcement in key areas, including near Exhibition Place, Liberty Village, and within 100 metres of the FIFA Fan Festival at Fort York and The Bentway.”

WATCH | Toronto prepares for the World Cup:

Toronto businesses finding workarounds 

Given all the copyright rules in place, some Toronto establishments are getting creative with their plans to draw visitors in. 

George Diamantouros, the manager of Sneaky Dee's, a local dive bar, said it’s been a barrier trying to figure out how to attract visitors to the bar for games without using any World Cup language. 

“People know to come [to the bar], but we have to make sure that they know we will be showing the games,” he said. 

“I understand what they’re trying to protect, but at the same time, how much of a bite is the little guy going to take out of a multinational conglomerate that virtually owns the rights to everything?”  

Diamantouros said the bar was prepared for this, however, given its scuffle with Rogers last year over their World Series signage. 

“Definitely our interaction with Rogers and what happened with the Jays last year during the World Series informed what we’re doing now,” he said. 

Diamantouros said the bar's tournament content "will basically explain to everybody exactly what we’re doing and what we’re showing without saying the words FIFA and World Cup.”

George Diamantouros, the manager of Sneaky Dees, says the bar had to get creative with how it showcasse excitement around the FIFA World Cup, without breaking any copyright rules. (Mehrdad Nazarahari/CBC News)

For Rocco Mastrangelo Jr., co-owner of the longstanding Italian restaurant Cafe Diplomatico, FIFA compliance meant partnering up with official sponsors that also supply the restaurant, like Coca-Cola and the Labatt Brewing Company. 

“Because we are partners with them … we are allowed to co-ordinate with them to use that logo,” he said.

“It is a little bit overwhelming, especially for small independent business owners, but [the] FIFA World Cup is a mega, international worldwide tournament," he said. "A lot of the sponsors that support FIFA are also investing a lot of money so they have to protect their investments.”