⚽🎤 Seven Japanese performers who closed out Coachella's Sahara Stage, played 47 shows on a world tour, and got there first on a Billboard chart. XG has just been named Coca-Cola Japan Ambassador for FIFA World Cup 2026, and the music record is exactly why.

XG Appointed Coca-Cola Japan Ambassador for FIFA World Cup 2026

On February 16, 2026, Coca-Cola Japan launched its "Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup 26" campaign to celebrate the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026. At the center of this campaign is XG, the Japan-born HIP HOP/R&B group that has been named the campaign's official Japan Ambassador.

The seven members of XG appear in a web movie released on Coca-Cola's official social media channels (X and Instagram), sporting limited-edition soccer jerseys dubbed "Coke Limited Unis." Designed with Y2K-inspired retro aesthetics, these jerseys come in 10 country-themed variations and are fashionable enough for both match-day excitement and everyday street style.

The campaign offers these limited jerseys to the first 100,000 applicants who purchase Coca-Cola products and collect points. Additional prizes include the chance to become an official on-site reporter at the tournament through a "Cheering Tour" lottery (5 groups of 10 people), plus exclusive merchandise giveaways.

Who Is XG? The "X-POP" Pioneers Rewriting the Rules

XG (pronounced "X-G") consists of seven members: JURIN, CHISA, HINATA, HARVEY, JURIA, MAYA, and COCONA. All seven members are Japanese. They are signed to XGALX, an Avex-affiliated label, and spent their trainee years in South Korea. Their working market has been overseas from the start.

The name stood for "Xtraordinary Girls" from debut until January 12, 2026, when, with every member now 20, XGALX announced a change to "Xtraordinary Genes." The label said "Genes" points to the creativity held at the group's core.

XG's origin dates to 2017 and the "X-Galaxy" project. Selected trainees spent roughly five years in training before the seven debuted with "Tippy Toes" on March 18, 2022. The group is produced by JAKOPS (SIMON), a former K-pop idol of Japanese and Korean parentage who serves as CEO and executive producer of XGALX.

What sets XG apart is their self-defined genre, "X-POP": neither J-POP nor K-POP. Songs are released in English, built on hip-hop and R&B.

A Track Record That Speaks for Itself

XG's global impact is backed by impressive numbers.

"GRL GVNG," a pre-release track from the first mini-album NEW DNA, made them the first Japanese act to top Billboard's "Hot Trending Songs Powered by Twitter" chart on a weekly basis. Their third single "SHOOTING STAR" charted on Spotify's Viral Top 100 across multiple countries and regions.

On March 6, 2023, "LEFT RIGHT" entered the US Mediabase Top 40 Radio Airplay Chart at No. 40, a first for any Japanese female artist or Japanese group. XG also became the first Japanese girl group to appear on the cover of Billboard magazine.

Their second mini-album AWE, released in November 2024, reached No. 3 on Oricon's weekly album ranking and gave them their first entry on the Billboard 200.

Their first world tour, "XG 1st WORLD TOUR 'The first HOWL,'" began in 2024 and ran 47 shows across 35 cities in 18 countries and regions, drawing around 400,000 people. It closed at Tokyo Dome in May 2025 in front of 50,000.

In April 2025, XG performed at Coachella as the only Japanese act on the bill, closing the Sahara Stage, the festival's largest indoor venue.

From the Trophy Tour to Limited Jerseys

XG's relationship with Coca-Cola began before this campaign launch. On January 18, 2026, the group appeared at the "Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour" unveiling event in Tokyo, standing before the one-of-a-kind original FIFA World Cup Trophy.

In a behind-the-scenes reveal, XG members shared that they had traveled from Korea to Japan aboard a specially wrapped aircraft designed exclusively for the Trophy Tour. "We all toasted with Coca-Cola on the plane," the members shared.

During a talk session about ideal World Cup viewing scenarios, answers ranged from "watching at home with all the members" to "wearing jerseys and cheering with everything we've got." HARVEY's answer, watching from the Moon with aliens from various planets, drew laughter and was very much on brand.

In the campaign's web movie, each member styles the limited jersey with their own flair. JURIN pairs a white-based jersey with sparkling bottoms and pearl necklaces, CHISA combines bold red and blue with camouflage pants and boots, HINATA goes minimal with an oversized jersey over denim with chain accessories, and HARVEY accents yellow and green with bohemian belts and boots. Coca-Cola also published each member's styling notes alongside the video.

Why XG?

Having a Japanese music group serve as the face of Coca-Cola's FIFA World Cup campaign is noteworthy in itself. Traditionally such campaigns lead with footballers or sports personalities. XG's selection is a bet on reach.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first co-hosted by three countries, the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with a record 48 nations competing. From the June 11 opener to the July 19 final, 104 matches are scheduled, and 32 teams advance to the knockout stage rather than 16. Japan qualified for an eighth consecutive tournament and was drawn into Group F with the Netherlands, Tunisia, and a European playoff winner.

For an event of that scale, a group with an English-language catalogue, a Coachella set behind them, and fans across several continents is a reasonable fit.

The campaign also features Japan national team defender Yuto Nagatomo of FC Tokyo in a message video aimed at Cheering Tour applicants, plus actress and football fan Yuka Kageyama and several football-connected influencers in the key visuals.

A New Model for "Japan to the World"

Seven Japanese performers working entirely in English, charting on Billboard, closing a Coachella stage, and now fronting a World Cup campaign. Going out from a position that was neither J-POP nor K-POP has come back in this shape.

In your country, do music artists get tapped for major sports campaigns? And had you heard of XG before? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Update: what happened next (as of July 2026)

  • One week after the campaign launch, on February 23, 2026, XGALX CEO and executive producer JAKOPS (SIMON) was arrested on suspicion of violating Japan's Narcotics Control Act. XG stated they had no involvement, and their ongoing world tour proceeded as scheduled.
  • The third team in Japan's Group F turned out to be Sweden, through the European playoffs. Japan's second group match, against Tunisia, was the 1,000th match in World Cup history.
  • The tournament ended on July 19, 2026 at New York New Jersey Stadium, where Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time for their second title and first since 2010.
  • XG performed at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL '26 on July 24 to 26, 2026. The finale of their current world tour was announced for February 2027 at Tokyo Dome and Kyocera Dome Osaka.

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