The FIFA World Cup 2026 is getting more exciting now as Danish toymaker Lego will continue its expansion into the sports market this year with a collaboration with four of the world’s most famous soccer players.
Lego is going to feature legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo among football stars in its exclusive version of the World Cup trophy.
All four faces of their national teams' contenders for the FIFA World Cup 2026, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Junior, will be seen vying over a LEGO version of the trophy.
Not content with releasing a near-scale model of the FIFA World Cup trophy itself in brick form, Lego has upped the ante ahead of the finals by releasing a range of official minifigures styled on some of the star players set to appear at the tournament this summer.
Sets celebrating the world's top football legends will be made available ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
A teaser trailer for the sets was shared by Lego on Thursday showing all four of the World Cup stars trying to wrestle themselves a piece of the brilliant (and impressively detailed) Lego Editions FIFA World Cup trophy set released in December.
Each World Cup minifigure set comes with one of the aforementioned players dressed in their international kits and stood on a brick base in the shape of their initial, with Ronaldo standing on an "R"-shaped base, Mbappe on an "M"-shaped base, etc.
In total, seven sets have been made—four featuring letter-shaped designs representing each footballer, which cost $29, as well as display models of Ronaldo and Messi ($79).
Both Ronaldo and Messi have also been bestowed with a special enhanced "Football Legend" set as well, which allows fans to build up a larger model of their chosen hero in several different signature stances.
For example, Ronaldo can hit his "Siuuu!" goal celebration or a bicycle kick, whereas Messi can be given his trademark "skyward point" celebration or a dynamic dribbling pose. The "Football Legend" sets contain over 850 pieces and come with custom backdrops and a printed plaque.
Additionally, World Cup winner Messi also has his own 1,427-piece 3D wall art, which will feature him in his signature victory pose ($179), while each player will also have his own mini-figure available with the cheaper sets.
Feedback from the football legends:
"Similar to football, LEGO play is all about building and rebuilding, trying new things, learning from mistakes, and celebrating successes," said Messi. "I love how these LEGO sets bring my pitch moments to life in a fun and imaginative way."
Moreover, Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. said, "It doesn't matter where you're from or what language you speak; people connect through creativity and that's really powerful."
"I didn't have much growing up, but I used to play with LEGO at school, like a lot of kids, I loved building things, creating my own world, and using my imagination. That’s something that stays with you, even as you get older.”
About Lego:
Lego, founded nearly 100 years ago and still privately owned, is betting big on the World Cup, having launched a replica trophy set in March.
It has already had success in the motorsports market, and last year its designers built 10 functioning Formula One cars for the Miami Grand Prix.
Julia Goldin, Lego's chief marketing and product officer, said there would be a wider football programme to coincide with the World Cup, including fan zone experiences.
