While the opening matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup were taking place in Mexico on Thursday, 11 June, a football-related event funded by Coca-Cola was held at Sky Light Hotel in Addis Ababa.

The event brought together football enthusiasts, corporate representatives, politicians, media personalities, and other invited guests.Although the event took place in a country that is not participating in the tournament, organizers said the decision aligns with the American company’s international marketing strategies, which are commonly used during major global sporting events.

The program in Sky Light Hotel included a music concert, dance performances, a photo session with the World Cup trophy, and a live screening of the opening ceremony from Mexico.

During the event, several speakers, representing Coca-Cola, addressed the audience. They emphasised that football extends beyond sport, describing it as a powerful means of connecting people through shared emotions and passion. They also highlighted that this year’s World Cup is a large-scale tournament with a record number of participating countries and matches, and outlined Coca-Cola’s plans to engage Ethiopian football fans through different activations.

In another words, Coca Cola wants Ethiopia to be its playing ground.

Ethiopia is not yet among Coca-Cola’s largest African markets by sales volume, trailing more established consumer markets such as South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Kenya. However, the company regards the country as a strategically important market with significant long-term growth potential.

The country’s population of over 120 million and its expanding urban middle class make it one of the company’s most promising markets on the continent. Per capita consumption remains low, leaving considerable room for expansion.

Currently, there are five Coca-Cola plants in the country, four of which are fully operational, located in Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Dire Dawa, and Sebeta. The Sebeta facility, inaugurated in May 2022, is the largest Coca-Cola plant in Ethiopia.The company has also introduced Schweppes Novida Pineapple, described as the first fruit-flavoured, non-alcoholic premium malt drink in the market, and launched Minute Maid Refresh, a juice brand, in July 2022.

Coca-Cola, through its bottling partners and distribution network, has a significant economic presence in the country, with manufacturing and bottling operations, extensive retail and distribution channels, indirect employment in areas such as logistics and supply chains, and contributions to government tax revenues.

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Ethiopia has been certified a Top Employer for 2025, according to the Top Employers Institute’s HR Best Practices Survey.

The American group is expanding its presence in the market, where per-capita soft drink consumption is estimated at around 20 litres per adult per year. Its growth has coincided with increasing engagement with political and governmental stakeholders as it advances its commercial interests, to the detriment of public health.

At the same time, Ethiopia’s growing exposure to ultra-processed foods is having visible health impacts. Obesity rates are rising quickly, reflecting a wider nutritional and epidemiological shift. Over the past three decades, studies have also shown a steady increase in non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian Diabetes Association has stated that approximately 2.3 million citizens are currently living with diabetes in Ethiopia, with the number continuing to rise in recent years. The President of the Association, Dr. Getahun Tarekegn, attributed this increase partly to the growing prevalence of Type 2 diabetes, which is often associated with unhealthy lifestyles. The association also notes that the cost of treatment remains a significant burden for many patients, as ongoing care, medication, and monitoring are often expensive and difficult to sustain over time.

Cardiovascular disease in Ethiopia has become a growing public health concern, reflecting a broader shift from infectious diseases toward non-communicable diseases. It is now one of the leading causes of adult mortality and disability, alongside other NCDs such as diabetes and chronic respiratory disease, according to the WHO.

There is a well-studied association between high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, including Coca-Cola and similar soft drinks, and increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

A large body of epidemiological research has found that regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. An analysis in The BMJ reported that each additional daily serving is linked to a higher risk of the disease, largely mediated through weight gain and insulin resistance. The World Health Organization also identifies sugar-sweetened beverages as a key dietary contributor to obesity and diabetes globally.

Research has also identified similar associations with cardiovascular outcomes, including heart disease and stroke. A summary of long-term cohort studies from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health links higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages to an increased risk of these conditions, partly through effects on obesity, hypertension and metabolic health.

The Coca-Cola Company has generally disputed allegations regarding the health impacts of its products and has been accused by public health experts and advocacy groups of seeking to downplay or obscure the scientific evidence linking sugar-sweetened beverages to chronic diseases through extensive public relations and marketing campaigns.

Coca-Cola maintains that its products can be consumed as part of a balanced lifestyle and says it supports consumer choice by offering reduced-sugar and zero-sugar alternatives, transparent nutritional information, and initiatives promoting physical activity.

Coca-Cola also highlights its own contributions to Ethiopia’s social and economic development, stating on its website that it has invested heavily in Ethiopia in recent years, including programmes in water and sanitation, health, youth employment, and women’s entrepreneurship. Coca-Cola says it has delivered a water infrastructure project in Sebeta Dima, Sheger City, which it states will improve access to safe drinking water for more than 800 residents. The project is located in an area where the company also operates a bottling facility that uses groundwater for production. Some local residents and observers have raised concerns about industrial water use in the area, though detailed independent assessments are limited.Coca-Cola Ethiopia said in September 2022 that it donated medical equipment worth 14 million birr to the Ministry of Health and provided humanitarian support to communities in Addis Ababa and the Ethiopian Somali region.

At the same time, Coca-Cola is one of the foreign companies that has benefited most from the Ethiopian government’s policy of attracting foreign investment in recent years, which places strong emphasis on increasing external capital inflows into the economy. Some observers link this approach to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and members of his cabinet, pointing to the relatively easy access granted to companies such as Coca-Cola. “The intensity of the contacts between Coca-Cola, Abiy Ahmed and his cabinet testifies to an opaque but privileged relationship,” an unnamed official said.

In March 2020, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held talks with senior Coca-Cola executives on the company’s expansion plans in Ethiopia. James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, and Jacques Vermeulen, CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, were received by the Prime Minister in Addis Ababa. When the Sebeta Coca-Cola plant was inaugurated in May 2022, officials, including Industry Minister Melaku Alebel and Oromia region president Shimelis Abdissa, were present.

Observers say Coca-Cola’s presence alone cannot be linked to rising diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the country. Rising rates of these conditions are widely associated with broader dietary and lifestyle changes, including increased consumption of ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, alongside urbanisation and reduced physical activity.

Coca-Cola, like other global food and beverage companies operating in the country, is part of a wider shift in consumer markets toward processed products.