The hottest commodity at this year’s FIFA World Cup wasn’t a scarf or a kit; in fact, it didn’t cost fans a dime. Every time the gates opened at Levi’s Stadium, fans rushed to line up outside the Bank of America booth, where the FIFA World Cup charm bracelets were flying off the shelves.

The free giveaway was a way for Bank of America to celebrate the return of the world’s biggest sporting event to America.

“FIFA World Cup 2026 is the first World Cup on United States soil in decades, and we wanted to help create memories that will last even longer,” said David Tyrie, the company’s president of marketing, digital and specialized consumer client solutions. “BofA Fan Bands are designed to capture the energy of FIFA World Cup 2026, celebrating the iconic teams, passionate fans and the host cities at the heart of the tournament.”

At each match at Levi’s Stadium, Bank of America handed out bands for the two teams playing in the match as well as the host nations – Canada, Mexico and USA. Lines before and after all the matches were long, but fans didn’t mind.

“I have family that is traveling from the Philippines, and they were like, please try and get me a charm bracelet,” said Summer Sevilla, who attended the Australia-Paraguay match on June 25. “So, I’ve seen it on social media as well, but yeah, I love it. Okay, super cute, like they’re free giveaways. It’s probably the best free giveaway at a sport I’ve seen.”

Sevilla and Diego Luna stood in line after the match and used it to kill time until the Uber prices went down.

Australia fans Sami Hallak, Carla Gonzalez and Roberto Gonzalez had a similar idea after the Paraguay-Australia match. They also stood in line while they waited for the Uber demand to die down.

“I don’t think an hour wait is fair. I think maybe a 30-minute wait is probably the max. I don’t want to do it next time, but at the end of the day, I think given that we didn’t really have anywhere to be and we were able to wait for the Ubers to kind of price down a bit, it makes sense for us to wait in the line,” said Hallak.

He and his friends were extra thrilled to find out that the bracelets were themed for the match, especially since they were Aussie fans.

“We didn’t realize that every country gets one, and I’m so happy that I got the Australian one, because I’m Aussie,” said Hallak.

The lines were extra-long on July 1, when the host nation USA played at Levi’s.

“We came in, we got in line right away,” said Karissa, who stood in line for more than an hour with her 9-year-old son Brayden.

Even though the pair got into line first thing, the USA bands were already gone by the time they made it to the front of the line.

Brayden ended up with a Mexico band instead. While Brayden was a little disappointed, he was still thrilled to be attending his first-ever World Cup match.

Lines at the USA match against Bosnia-Herzegovina were so long that they zigzagged through the Levi’s Stadium parking lot, and fans were warned that they might not make it to the front of the line before the match started.

Silicon Valley Voice’s World Cup Coverage:
Making the World Cup Accessible — From the Inside
Photo Gallery: Fans Watch U.S. Men Win in Santa Clara; Advance to Round of 16 in FIFA World Cup
Excitement for USA World Cup Match Palpable at Levi’s Stadium
From Football Gridiron to Soccer Pitch: Santa Clara’s World Cup Stadium Transformation
Photo Gallery: Australia, Paraguay Fans Show up for Final Group Match at Levi’s Stadium
Security at Levi’s Ramps up for World Cup
Photo Gallery: Jordan Algeria Match Creates a Lifetime of Memories
Bay Area Welcomes Jordan Fans as Team Makes First World Cup Appearance
Photo Gallery: World Cup Sell Out in Santa Clara Thrills Paraguay, Türkiye Fans
Paraguay Upsets Türkiye and Sends Fans Home Happy
Photo Gallery: Jordan, Austria Meet in FIFA World Cup
Fans Bring the Energy as FIFA World Cup Action Arrives at Levi’s Stadium