The FIFA World Cup 2026 gave brands, shopping centers and event organizers across Europe a natural reason to bring football closer to their audiences.

For us, it also became a summer that showed just how versatile the skills.lab Cube GO can be. Across Spain, Germany, Austria and Scotland, several systems were in action at the same time. Some stayed for almost two months, others for just a few days. And while football was the common theme, the goals behind each activation were very different.

Connecting Football with Loyalty at Parque Corredor

At Parque Corredor in Madrid, the World Cup became the starting point for an activation that connected football directly with the shopping center’s loyalty program.

The “Ready to Become the Golden Boot?” campaign combined the Cube GO challenges with rankings and prizes, giving visitors a reason to compete while connecting participation to the Parque Corredor Club.

More than 2,000 people took part and played 2,326 games. At the same time, the campaign generated 629 new loyalty registrations, an increase of 53 percent.

The numbers show what can happen when an interactive football experience becomes part of a wider retail concept. Football attracted people to the challenge, while the connection to the loyalty program extended its impact beyond the game itself.

Turning the Fan Zone into a Place to Play

Just a few kilometers away, the Cube GO was used in a completely different setting.

At Madrid’s Plaza de Colón, the system became part of a large World Cup activation by a leading telecommunications provider and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). Positioned directly in front of the giant screen, the Cube gave supporters another way to experience the tournament as they gathered to follow Spain on their journey to the World Cup title.

Visitors could step inside, compete in interactive football challenges and win exclusive prizes. Here, the goal wasn’t retail or customer loyalty. It was about turning the energy around the national team into active participation and giving fans the chance to play themselves.

Bringing the World Cup into Shopping Centers Across Europe

The same summer also saw the Cube GO activations at Palais Vest in Recklinghausen, Leine-Center in Laatzen, The Centre in Livingston and Shopping Nord in Graz.

Here, the World Cup provided an opportunity to offer shopping center visitors more than decorations and matchday atmosphere. The Cube GO added a sporting challenge they could take part in themselves.

The two German activations ran for two months, Livingston for seven weeks and Graz as a compact eleven-day showcase. Different durations and locations, but a similar idea: use the attention around the World Cup to create something visitors could actively experience.

These projects also showed that an activation doesn’t have to follow one fixed format. The Cube GO can become part of a campaign lasting several weeks or create a concentrated highlight for a shorter period.

One Summer, Many Ways to Use the Cube GO

Looking back, the variety of these projects is what stands out most. A loyalty campaign has different goals than a World Cup fan zone. And a two-month shopping center activation comes with different requirements than an eleven-day showcase.

The Cube GO adapted to each of them. Sometimes the focus was on giving visitors something unexpected to do. Sometimes competition and prizes drove participation. And sometimes football became the starting point for customer loyalty or a larger fan experience.

There is no single blueprint. The Cube GO can adapt to different locations, timelines and objectives, giving brands and venues a flexible way to turn football into active participation.

Summer may be over. But wherever the goal is to get customers, visitors or fans involved, there are plenty of ways to keep playing.