Members of Domino’s rewards program are about to get more free pizza from the No. 1 chain, and they’ve got U.S. soccer player Folarin Balogun to thank for it.
Balogun was hit with a penalty card in his team’s victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the World Cup last Wednesday night. That means Domino’s has to keep its promise to give away about $1 million in free “emergency pizzas” this summer. And we suspect the chain is happy to do so, since the giveaway further bolsters its loyalty program, 37 million strong at last count and still growing.
“No comment on that red card,” Domino’s said in an Instagram Story post after the game. “But a promise is a promise. Hope the free Emergency Pizza softens the blow & makes the win taste even better.”
A little background: In May, Domino’s announced its latest Emergency Pizza campaign, this one centered around the World Cup. If any player from the U.S. team received a red card in the soccer tournament, Domino’s said it would “help soften the blow” by giving away $1 million worth of free pizza.
And that’s what happened in the U.S./Bosnia-Herzegovina game. Balogun received a red card in a clash with Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic after Balogun’s cleat went down the latter’s leg and onto his foot.
There’s just one catch: To qualify for a free medium two-topping pizza, Domino’s customers have to currently be members of Domino’s Rewards, the company’s loyalty program. Anyone who signed up by June 10 will be eligible.
Domino’s website stated, “Customers will receive their Domino’s Emergency Pizza for Red Cards reward directly in their My Deals & Rewards page on Dominos.com or in the app,” Domino’s said in a post on its website. “Customers will be notified via email from e.helloworldemail.com if they’ve won a free Emergency Pizza for Red Cards or a 20% off code for non-winners.”
In late June, Domino’s also launched its first-ever in-app game, called Soccer Shootout—again, exclusively for Domino’s Rewards members. The game “lets fans test their aim by launching toppings at a moving pizza target for a chance to score bonus loyalty points and exclusive deals, including discounts on future orders.” Soccer Shootout is available through July 19 to Domino’s Rewards members within the Domino’s app.
Domino’s has used several “Emergency Pizza” offers since October 2023 to build up its loyalty program membership—and the initiative has been a phenomenal success, according to the brand. In its first few months, the campaign reportedly helped Domino’s add 2 million new members. As of 2025, the program had grown to 37 million, the company has said.
And once a customer downloads the Domino’s app, you can bet they’ll be targeted with more special offers, solidifying the brand/customer relationship. Meanwhile, many hometown independent shops continue to depend heavily on third-party delivery platforms that don’t yield the kind of granular customer data that an in-house loyalty program provides.
