Juan Valdez has entered a strategic partnership with Colombian football star James Rodríguez and his brand 10 Coffee, launching a World Cup-themed special edition line that ties Colombian coffee, soccer fandom, and youth-focused sourcing across Colombia, the United States, and Mexico from June 2026, according to El Tiempo and Global Coffee Report.
The campaign, titled “El 10 se prepara con Juan Valdez” (“The 10 Gets Ready with Juan Valdez”), centers on a limited-edition coffee blend sourced from Colombia’s Huila, Cauca, and Norte de Santander departments, El Tiempo reported. Both Global Coffee Report and El Tiempo note that the coffee is harvested by beneficiaries of Juan Valdez’s Jóvenes Renacer (Reborn Youth) program, which, according to the company’s own program description, has supported over 100 participants, impacted more than 70 young people directly, and enabled the purchase of more than 58,000 kilograms of green coffee.
The partnership marks a high-profile example of the growing intersection between elite athletes and national coffee branding. Rodríguez’s 10 Coffee, launched in 2023, is part of a broader movement of sports figures creating ventures linked to emblematic products such as coffee, according to ColombiaOne. In this case, the collaboration aligns the footballer’s personal brand with an established, producer-owned company: Juan Valdez represents more than 550,000 coffee-growing families through Colombia’s National Federation of Coffee Growers and holds B Corporation certification, as noted by Global Coffee Report and technology outlet PortalGeek.
“This partnership with Juan Valdez brings together two of the things that most represent me as a Colombian: soccer and coffee,” Rodríguez said in comments reported by Global Coffee Report. Speaking to El Tiempo, he added that he was “excited to join forces with 10 Coffee to bring forward a proposal that connects with the passion experienced both on and off the field.”
On the retail side, the special edition is already being positioned for international consumers. A Juan Valdez online store listing accessed June 25, 2026, shows pre-orders open for Medium Roast Ground 11-ounce bags at US$15.99, Dark Roast Ground 11-ounce bags at the same price, and two 12-pack cold coffee options—Vanilla Cold Coffee and a standard Cold Coffee—each at US$42.99, with shipments scheduled to begin June 24, 2026. El Tiempo reports that the line will be available in Colombia, while Global Coffee Report notes that the 2026 FIFA World Cup host United States and neighboring Mexico are also key release markets.
The timing is central to the strategy. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played in the United States, and Global Coffee Report states that Juan Valdez is using the tournament to bolster its presence in North America, identified in prior regional trade interviews as a focus area for international expansion. “Through this alliance, we are bringing together two iconic Colombian symbols with global reach: coffee and soccer,” said Sebastián Mejía, General Manager North America at Juan Valdez, in the Global Coffee Report article.
Mejía added that, as the brand works to strengthen its international footprint, the campaign is designed to “engage consumers through moments that are culturally relevant and emotionally meaningful” and to “celebrate preparation, passion, and the connections that happen around every match,” according to Global Coffee Report. Communications highlighted by ColombiaOne describe coffee and soccer as two of Colombia’s most recognizable cultural exports, underscoring the commercial and symbolic convergence at the heart of the alliance.
Marketing around the launch extends beyond packaged coffee. El Tiempo reports that Juan Valdez and 10 Coffee are introducing non-alcoholic, coffee-based “spritz futboleros” in three flavors—Blue Curazao Mojito, Sandía Mule, and Coco Mandarina—to accompany match-viewing occasions in the three launch countries. In statements to El Tiempo, Juan Valdez Global CMO Lina Hoyos framed the concept around the often-unseen rituals that precede each game, saying the company wants the brand to be “part of what is not always seen, but where the excitement really begins.”
By combining a World Cup-centered narrative, a celebrity-led coffee brand, and beans sourced from a youth-focused program in key Colombian regions, the Rodríguez–Juan Valdez project exemplifies how coffee companies are weaving cultural symbolism and social initiatives into international product launches tied to global sporting events, according to reporting from Global Coffee Report, El Tiempo, ColombiaOne, and Juan Valdez’s own program information.
