June 4, 2026 – Footballco and The Coca‑Cola Company today announced the launch of ‘José vs. Mourinho’, an innovative, real-time social content series debuting while the FIFA World Cup 2026™ kicks off. Led by Footballco, the series is created in partnership with one of football’s most iconic and emotionally powerful figures: José Mourinho.
 

As presenting sponsor, Coca‑Cola brought together the partners behind this unique content experience that worked with José Mourinho himself to capture his image and personality to create a highly realistic AI-powered virtual replica of Mourinho – also known as a “digital twin” – to create playful daily debates throughout the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Two different versions of Mourinho will humorously argue opposite sides of football topics in real time, combining his well-known charisma, competitive spirit and sense of humor in a social-first entertainment format.

Made possible by Coca‑Cola, the series was developed by Footballco’s editorial team in partnership with next-gen entertainment studio and management company GRAiL and built with Google Cloud technologies, while working alongside José Mourinho.
 

The project embraces the emotional contradictions of football fandom, reflecting the fun, passion and spontaneity that supporters experience during major tournaments. The debates are intentionally exaggerated and entertainment-focused, created to engage audiences socially rather than provide rigorous sporting analysis.
 

José Mourinho said: “I have had many battles in football, but this may be the funniest one yet: arguing with myself every day. Football is emotion, instinct and passion – and sometimes fans’ emotions shift every few minutes during a match. This project is about enjoying those emotions with humor and not taking ourselves too seriously.”
 

Running throughout the tournament, the series represents dynamic content production at scale and will be distributed across Footballco’s global football media and culture brand, GOAL, with daily episodes capturing the emotion and unpredictability of football’s biggest global stage. Approximately 200+ pieces of content will be produced and distributed during the FIFA World Cup 2026™. The series will also be amplified through Footballco’s curated roster of football influencers across social platforms. 
 

Footballco will power the real-time publishing of the campaign’s multi-language asset ecosystem across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook.
 

Stefano D’Anna, President of Footballco, said: “There are few characters in football as entertaining as José Mourinho and few brands with as deep a legacy with the FIFA World Cup™ as Coca‑Cola. We are thrilled to bring our expertise to this campaign, delivering dynamic, premium content that enriches the fan experience during the world’s most celebrated tournament.”
 

“With ‘José vs. Mourinho’, we’re bringing together an incredible group of partners across football, creativity and technology to create something football fans have never seen before,” said Manolo Arroyo, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Customer Commercial Officer, The Coca‑Cola Company. “This is entertainment and storytelling built for modern football culture that is real-time, social and engaging, while bringing to life the rollercoaster of emotions fans experience during matches.”
 

‘José vs. Mourinho’ uses cutting-edge technology to channel Mourinho’s larger-than-life personality into a real-time format built for today’s social-first environment. This program explores a new form of sports entertainment combining human creativity and AI-powered storytelling. 
 

The series is designed for entertainment purposes. The content is playful and informal and does not represent José Mourinho's official tactical analysis or serious professional commentary.
 

Coca‑Cola’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ campaign also includes the global brand films “Bubbling Up,” “Uncanned Emotions” and “No Better Feeling,” the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca‑Cola, a custom Panini sticker collaboration and more. A partner of FIFA® spanning nearly five decades, Coca‑Cola continues to focus on enhancing the fan experience through creative storytelling that captures the emotion and cultural energy surrounding football’s biggest stage.
 

Follow GOAL’s social channels, web and app throughout the tournament for new episodes daily. Episodes to go live daily/weekly across GOAL channels, including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X and Facebook.