The Football World Cup widget lets you overlay live match data on any new or existing creative in NEXD Campaign Manager. Once enabled, the widget updates automatically throughout the tournament, so no further changes to the ad are needed after launch.
Between live matches, you can choose whether the widget displays the next match details or the final score of the most recently completed match.
Examples
When to use the Football World Cup widget?
The widget is particularly effective for:
Brands, broadcasters, and organisations running campaigns during the tournament that want to tap into the excitement and visibility surrounding the event
Brands looking to make their ads feel more timely and relevant throughout the World Cup period
Long-running campaigns that stay live for several days or weeks, as the widget automatically updates match data throughout the tournament without requiring manual changes to the creative
The widget automatically switches between three main display modes depending on the match status:
Live score – when a tracked match is in progress, the widget displays the live score, team flags, team abbreviations, and the current match time.
Between matches – when no tracked match is live, the widget displays either the next match details or the last match final score, depending on the option selected in the widget settings.
Static message – when no fixture is scheduled, no last match result is available, or if live data is unavailable, the widget displays a custom fallback message set by you. This ensures the ad always has content to display.
Once the ad is live, no further action is required. The widget automatically transitions between states throughout the tournament.
How to set it up
Step 1 - Find the widget
Open a creative in the ad creation view and go to the Extras tab. Scroll to the Widgets section, where you will find the Football World Cup widget listed alongside Particles and Countdown.
Extras tab showing Widgets section with Football World Cup widget
Step 2 - Enable the widget
Turn the widget on by clicking the toggle next to Football World Cup. The widget settings will expand automatically below.
Widget toggled ON, accordion expanded
Step 3 - Choose what to follow
Under Display information about, choose one of the following options:
A specific team – tracks all matches involving a selected national team throughout the tournament. If the team is eliminated, the widget falls back to the configured fallback message.
A specific group – tracks all matches within a selected group during the tournament. If multiple matches are live at the same time, the widget automatically rotates between them, giving each live match equal visibility.
A tournament stage – tracks all matches within a selected knockout stage, including:
Round of 32
Round of 16
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Any live match – displays information about any match that is currently live during the tournament.
After selecting an option, choose the relevant team, group, stage option from the dropdown menu.
Display information about "Team" selected and dropdown
Note: If multiple matches are live simultaneously within your selected group or stage, the widget automatically chooses one match to display.
Step 4 - Choose what to display between matches
Under Between matches display, choose what the widget should show when no tracked match is currently live:
Next match details – shows the next scheduled fixture, including the teams, date, and kick-off time.
Last match final score – shows the final score of the most recently completed tracked match.
You can customise both of these labels.
Step 5 - Set your fallback message
The widget includes a built-in fallback flow that works automatically:
Live score – shown when a tracked match is live
Between matches – shown when no tracked match is live. Depending on your selection, the widget displays either the next match details or the last match final score.
Fallback message – shown when there are no upcoming fixtures, no last match result is available, or if live data is temporarily unavailable
This order is fixed and updates automatically based on tournament activity.
You can customise the fallback message shown in the final state. By default, it is:
"FIFA World Cup 2026. Stay tuned!". To change it, simply edit the text field under Fallback message.
Fallback message input field
Step 6 - Position and style the widget
(screenshot: Asset Editor with widget selected on canvas and right panel visible)
When you are happy with the position and style, click Save to return to the creative.
Click Style in Asset Editor at the bottom of the widget settings to open the Asset Editor. From here, you can:
Drag the widget to any position within the ad
Resize the widget by dragging a corner handle
(the aspect ratio remains fixed, scaling all content proportionally)Change the font and text colour
Adjust the background colour and opacity
Set the corner radius for rounded corners
Asset Editor with the Football World Cup widget selected
When finished, click Save to return to the creative.
Step 7 - Publish
Publish the creative as usual. Once the campaign is live, the widget automatically fetches match data and switches between states throughout the tournament. No additional setup or manual updates are required.
Widget states – how the widget decides what to show
State | When it shows |
Live score | A tracked game is currently in progress |
Between matches | No tracked game is live. The widget shows either the next match details or the last match final score, depending on the selected Between matches display option. |
Fallback message | No upcoming fixture is scheduled, no last match result is available, or live data is temporarily unavailable |
Frequently asked questions
Can I add the widget to any creative? Yes. The widget works with any layout and creative size in NEXD Campaign Manager.
What happens if my followed team gets knocked out? Once the followed team is eliminated and no further fixtures are available, the widget falls back to its configured fallback message. This ensures the ad always continues to display content.
What if two games are on at the same time? If multiple matches are live within your selected group or stage, the widget automatically selects one match to display.
Can I change the widget styling after publishing? Yes. You can update the font, colours, opacity, size, and position at any time and republish the creative.
Will the widget ever show a blank or broken state? No. The fallback message is always shown if no live or upcoming match data is available, including during temporary data issues.
The tournament runs until 19 July — do I need to update my ad? No. The widget automatically handles all state changes and match updates throughout the entire tournament.
How are match times and time zones handled? Match times are automatically displayed in the viewer’s local time zone, based on their device settings. No additional time zone configuration is required in the widget settings.
Now get out there and make some noise — the world is watching. 🏆