Visa rewrites the rules of World Cup travel

Serviceplan Middle East has launched a travel campaign for Visa ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, rolling out across 15 countries and 13 languages throughout the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA) region.

The campaign, titled The New Game Plan, positions Visa as a travel companion for fans navigating the unexpected experiences that often accompany major global sporting events.

Campaign focuses on spontaneous travel moments

As an Official Partner of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Visa developed the campaign around the idea that some of the most memorable travel experiences happen outside carefully planned itineraries.

The creative work highlights how host cities and destinations can be transformed by the tournament, with fan gatherings, watch parties and football-related events creating unplanned opportunities for travellers.

Pep Guardiola and Ronwen Williams feature

The campaign features appearances from football figures Pep Guardiola and Ronwen Williams, supporting Visa’s message that flexibility and openness can lead to rewarding travel experiences.

According to the campaign narrative, travellers can adapt their plans more easily when payments are simple, widely accepted and secure, allowing them to embrace unexpected moments during their journeys.

Connecting travel, football and payments

Vineeta P Vasisht, Head of Client Servicing, Serviceplan Middle East: "Our challenge from the outset was to bring three worlds together — travel, Visa, and the FIFA World Cup. Most stories during the World Cup season are told through games, players and stadiums, but we saw a more human one: the tournament doesn't stay in the host cities, it travels. So we built 'The New Travel Game Plan' around the fan on the move, with Visa right there in every moment."

The campaign shifts the focus away from match action and towards the wider travel experiences surrounding the tournament, reflecting how football can influence the atmosphere and activity of destinations far beyond the stadium.

Creative built around relatable travel experiences

The work explores familiar travel situations, including missed connections, unexpected detours and spontaneous discoveries, positioning these moments as part of the appeal of travelling during a major sporting event.

Pep Guardiola’s appearance serves as a reference to the importance of planning, while reinforcing the campaign’s central message that some experiences cannot be scripted.

Encouraging travelers to embrace flexibility

Thomas Nicolae Gheorghiu and Shalisa Hira, Associate Creative Directors, Serviceplan Middle East: "The New Travel Game Plan only works if you're willing to say yes to it. So we started by asking: what are the moments every traveler recognizes? The seat you didn't choose. The bus you just missed. The restaurant you booked that couldn't compete with the noise coming from across the street. We didn't invent those situations. We just found the Visa in them."

The campaign will run across multiple markets in the CEMEA region as Visa continues its sponsorship activity ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

www.visa.com

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