Every year, the world comes together on the racetrack in the United States for IndyCar. But this year brings an extra special international celebration with the 2026 World Cup being played in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The two global sports will on Sunday, June 7 when Fox helps create hype for the soccer tournament by bringing together 12 IndyCar drivers, each from a different country. For the promotion, each driver donned special firesuits and helmets that paid homage to each national team’s kit.
The spot will air as part of the broadcast for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway outside of St. Louis. The race starts at 9 p.m. and airs on Fox.
The drivers said energy was high while shooting the promotional video and photos. It was something light-hearted in the midst of intense competition.
“We’re just doing something that we’re not used to doing,” Alex Palou, the current IndyCar leader and four-time series champion told USA TODAY Sports in a phone interview from set. “So it’s just been very fun.”
“The energy’s very high,” two-time champion Josef Newgarden added.
Newgarden, from Hendersonville, Tennessee, races for Team Penske and was excited for the synergy not only of his home country to host the World Cup, but for the television product as well. Fox has the broadcast rights to IndyCar and will also air the soccer tournament.
“We’re all proud to be able to host the World Cup here in the United States and certainly proud of FOX’s involvement and think they’re gonna do a great job displaying it,” Newgarden said. “We love that for them because they televise our product in IndyCar and we think they do a fantastic job. So to have a little bit of crossover and energy within the promotion is exciting right now.”
Palou is one of the soccer/football experts on the grid and is thrilled to represent Spain. After winning last year’s Indy 500, he took the Borg-Warner Trophy to a match for FC Barcelona, his hometown club.
“I love soccer. It’s a huge deal for Spain,” he said. “It’s by far our biggest sport. And although I’ve never been very good at playing, since I was a kid I struggled playing, but honestly I’ve been following since I knew the sport.”
Palou, who has won the past three IndyCar titles, said that it’s “absolutely” motivating for him when La Roja is doing well on the pitch for him to continue performing on the track. Spain won the European Championship in 2024 and is the favorite to win the World Cup.
“It’s just very cool that Spain is so good, right?” he said. “Although being a very small country, we have options to battle and to fight for wins or at least to fight for the championship.”
Like the rest of the world, Palou is looking forward to the World Cup debut of Lamine Yamal. He was grateful he got to watch the teenage sensation play in person when he attended Barça’s match.
“He’s so good. He’s so young,” Palou said. “… It’s super exciting to see someone that is that young playing at the level that he’s playing and just getting better and better. In Spain, everybody’s crazy with Lamine. I understand it. I had the pleasure, as I said, to see him play live. It’s pretty remarkable. So hopefully he does an amazing job at this World Cup.”
Marcus Ericsson’s big soccer moment was when he got to meet an already established superstar, Zlatan Ibrahimović, back when his fellow Swede played for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
“That was really cool,” he said.
Ericsson, who won the 2022 Indianapolis 500 and had a stint in Formula 1, is glad Sweden is back in the World Cup after missing the 2022 tournament. There’s extra meaning that the United States is co-hosting the competition.
“We had some bad years, so it’s great for us as a country to be back in the World Cup,” the Andretti Global driver said. “It’s fun for me living here in the U.S. to have Sweden play here.”
Similar to Spain, despite Sweden’s size, there is a lot to be proud of in representing The Elongated Country.
“I’m very proud to be Swedish. We’re quite a small country, but it’s cool to be here in the U.S. and on a world stage like IndyCar race and represent my country,” Ericsson said. “And I know a lot of people are following me back home in Sweden, so it’s something I’m very proud of.”
Pato O’Ward said that even though he’s not a big soccer fan, he understands the significance of the World Cup being played in his home country of Mexico. There will be matches in Mexico City, Guadalajara and his hometown of Monterrey.
“I know everyone there is quite the fanatic for football, so it’s obviously something that I have known ever since I was a child,” the Arrow McLaren driver said. “I personally never really played ‘cause I wasn’t very good. But I know it’s part of the culture for sure.”
He thought his firesuit, which has a similar look of Mexico’s green adidas home kit with red stripes, was “really cool.” As the only Mexican driver on the IndyCar grid, O’Ward is grateful to represent the same spirit that El Tri shares with the world, one of energy.
“I’ve always worn it very proudly on my back everywhere that I go, so it’s cool that not only we have the World Cup and the team that’s going to be participating throughout,” he said. “I get to do it also in a pretty similar way, but just in a racecar.”
Newgarden, on the other hand, is a passionate soccer fan and is a known supporter of Liverpool in the English Premier League. While there is temptation to root for the Three Lions, the 35-year-old is clear where his allegiances lie for the World Cup.
“I think there’s a lot of desire to see England win one. I feel like there’s a lot of heartbreak for that country, but I’ve gotta back the United States,” he said. “I wanna see them do well. I’m not sure how far we can go, but I think with anything, you just never know. So I’ll definitely support our country and more than anything, just excited to watch and see the energy that we’re gonna have on display right in our backyard.”
The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner thought his firesuit and helmet for the World Cup promotion was very reminiscent of Evel Knievel.
“It looks like I may jump the Grand Canyon,” he laughed.
Perhaps the driver who appreciated his kit the most was Will Power. Donning Australia’s green and gold brought a sense of nostalgia. Before becoming a two-time IndyCar champion, he made his debut in Champ Car and won the 2006 Rookie of the Year representing his home country.
“It reminds me of when I first came over here and I was driving for Team Australia,” he said. “The green and gold, it’s really cool. I love the suit they made.”
Soccer wasn’t popular yet in Australia when Power was growing up. Rugby was king. Football has grown in what he thinks is the last decade or so and, even though the Socceroos are underdogs in the World Cup, Power knows they will exhibit the grit that the nation is known for.
“I’m really hoping for a great World Cup for Australia,” he said. “I think it’s a really good team. Obviously, very tough competition, but I know the Australian mentality and attitude, they like to fight hard, so it’s gonna be fun to watch.”
Reflecting on his own journey from the small city of Toowoomba to the big lights of St. Louis, Power said, “I understand the fight.”
Scott Dixon hails from New Zealand, Australia’s rival. The other Oceania country also has an uphill battle in the World Cup. He said he enjoyed seeing the group chatter about the competition while shooting the promotion material for the summer tournament.
“I think our chances are somewhat slim compared to some of the others, but always good to have a bit of banter,” the Chip Ganassi Racing driver said, noting he hopes to attend a match in person.
Dixon had briefly heard about the All Whites rising star Tim Payne, who went from four thousand to five million Instagram followers weeks before the World Cup kickoff. He said the defender’s journey from an unknown on Wellington Phoenix to potentially shining on the global stage is “fantastic.”
The six-time IndyCar champion was knighted by his country last year. He said he is very appreciative to be a part of New Zealand’s motorsport legacy that includes Formula 1 champion Denny Hulme and the co-founder of McLaren, Bruce McLaren.
“I think New Zealand definitely packs a pretty big punch considering it’s only a small couple of islands,” he said. “… I take great pride in flying the flag on a world stage and all the successes that come with it.”
The other drivers that participated in the IndyCar promotion for the 2026 World Cup are Caio Collet (Brazil), Dennis Hauger (Norway), Louis Foster (England), Mick Schumacher (Germany), Rinus VeeKay (Netherlands) and Romain Grosjean (France).
The World Cup kicks off on Thursday, June 11 when Mexico takes on South Africa in Mexico City. The United States begins its journey on Friday, June 12 with a match against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyCar celebrating 2026 World Cup with drivers wearing special firesuits for home countries
Reporting by Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAY / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAY | USA TODAY Network
