How a free charm bracelet conquered the World Cup

NEW YORK/ATLANTA, July 1 : Karina Guerra did not mind waiting an hour to get her sought-after World Cup souvenir this week in East Rutherford, New Jersey - after all, she didn't pay a dime for it.

While the 2010 World Cup had vuvuzelas and the 2018 edition the foam Kokoshnik (traditional Russian headdress), the must-have accessory for the 2026 tournament appears to be "fan bands," free charm wristlets that have turned traditional marketing on its head.

More than 700,000 have been snapped so far at the tournament, with fans reserving appointments to make the customisable bracelets at fan festivals and scooping up premade versions distributed by sponsor Bank of America outside stadiums on match days.

"Last time we waited for two hours," said Guerra, a fan from El Salvador who said she had collected four of the bracelets so far, snubbing the kiosks of pricey merchandise that awaited her just beyond the gates at New York New Jersey Stadium. 

"It's spectacular. It is something very original."

Fans select charms specific to host cities - New York's collection includes a slice of pizza and the Statue of Liberty - with a new collection of charms for the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final announced this week.

What fans won't see, however, is branding that has become ubiquitous in sports marketing. Bank of America may be the sponsor but their name isn't on the bands, with their logo sneaking into the giveaway.

"The one thing fans sometimes don't catch is there is a flagscape bead - there's one that looks like a flag. And that is actually the Bank of America logo.

"But people perceive it as it's the 250th anniversary (of the United States), (or) it's a celebration of the U.S. Men's National team," said Bank of