The World Cup Comes Home

A As the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaches, excitement is building far beyond the field. The competition is set to begin June 19, with matches taking place in three countries, and the world is ready to watch history happen and commemorate the moment with a surge of official merchandise tied to the tournament. This year, the World Cup is as much about the community connections as it is about the action on the field. 

The tournament will be held in 16 cities across North America. “The 2026 FIFA World Cup offers us a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” says Brian Katzowitz, senior director, media relations for the U.S. Soccer Federation, the governing body for all things soccer here in the U.S. “Not just to showcase … world-class soccer, but to bring people together across the U.S. in a way only this sport can.”

The FIFA Fan Festival will occupy Philadelphia’s Lemon Hill, where everyone can watch every game for free. Los Angeles will have nine fan zones, plus a mobile party bus, and encourages young athletes to join soccer clinics citywide. In Manhattan, the Center Rink at Rockefeller Center will become a verdant field with large screens. 

“Our focus is to make sure fans everywhere feel part of this World Cup,” Katzowitz says. “This is a special moment for the game here at home, and we want communities across the country to experience it together,” he adds.

To bring victory home, fans can build the FIFA World Cup Official Trophy ($199.99), a first-time collaboration for The LEGO Group and FIFA. The 2,842-piece statue opens to reveal a LEGO minifig holding a trophy of its own. “The Trophy stands as a universal symbol of achievement and unity, and now, through the creativity of the LEGO brick, fans everywhere can experience the excitement of it,” said Julia Goldin, chief product and marketing officer at The LEGO Group, in a statement last year. 

This set lets fans experience what it feels like to hold the trophy themselves. “I’ll never forget what it felt like to hold that trophy,” said Roberto Carlo, who won for Brazil in 2002, in the same statement. “This isn’t just about building a trophy; it’s about sharing the love of football with family and friends.”

The LEGO Group also offers a 1,498-piece Soccer Ball set ($129.99), which opens to display a soccer team celebrating on the podium. “We hope fans take this opportunity to embrace the spirit of the global game’s greatest event, and bring a little piece of the party into their homes to keep forever,” said Romy Gai, chief business officer at FIFA, in a statement when the sets were released.

Hasbro sprints to the tournament with a slate of its classic games suited up and ready to play. The collection includes Connect 4 Shots FIFA World Cup 2026 ($24.97), Monopoly Deal FIFA World Cup 2026 Edition ($9.99), and Monopoly Panini Prizm: World Cup Board Game ($39.99). 

“We saw this as a unique opportunity to bring the global excitement around the event into homes in a way that feels interactive, competitive, and celebratory,” shares Brian Baker, senior vice president of board games at Hasbro. Transformed thoughtfully, “Each game will immerse fans of all ages in the spirit, competition, and community that make the FIFA World Cup so special,” Baker says.

Fans can “kick” the ball into the net with soccer cleat launchers in Connect 4. “Unlike traditional turn-based play, Connect 4 Shots FIFA World Cup 2026 is simultaneous,” Baker notes. Thus, the game brings a “high-energy experience that mirrors the quick reactions and competitive spirit you see in soccer,” he says. 

At game night, Monopoly Deal delivers a quick-play experience: “Younger fans can jump in quickly while still playing alongside older siblings, parents, or friends,” Baker explains. Rather than build a full squad, players only need to collect three pairs of cards.

Monopoly Panini Prizm: World Cup Board Game lets fans build the ultimate team with Panini trading cards featuring soccer athletes from the past and present, then move around the board. The game is quick and unpredictable. “Action cards can shift the momentum in an instant,” Baker says.

Hasbro enhances the trading card game with Monopoly Panini Prizm FIFA World Cup 2026 Trading Cards Booster Box ($29.99). Each box contains 24 Monopoly Panini Prizm FIFA cards. “There’s the added excitement of collecting, trading, and discovering parallels and ultra-rare cards,” Baker says. Booster boxes are sold at the same stores where they can buy Panini America trading cards.

Collectors have a lot to look forward to from Panini America beyond the Monopoly Prizm game, including Prizm trading cards and sticker starter kits, albums, and packs. Each sticker pack includes seven collectible stickers  — one of which is a foil sticker — and a team badge. Jason 

Howarth, senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations for Panini America, has been anticipating — and preparing for — for this World Cup for almost four years. Panini has sold stickers since 1970, but this year’s collection is its biggest yet, representing 48 teams. 

“Grandparents remember collecting as kids and trading their stickers with their friends, and now, they’re building [new] albums with their grandkids,” Howarth notes.

This year’s sticker collection is almost double the size of the one sold for the 2022 World Cup. “We’ve had to be really, really targeted and focused on how we engineer the actual album,” Howarth shares. Each team page features space for 20 stickers, including a team badge, a team photo, and 18 star players. At press time, Howarth was in Atlanta deciding which players would be included in the team’s two-page spread.

Fans have even more opportunities to expand their collections through a partnership with Coca-Cola. Panini stickers are hiding under the labels of marked 20-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola and Coke Zero. Soccer fanatics will have plenty to uncover under those labels; 300 million stickers are available to find in the U.S. and Canada alone. The soda bottles also have QR codes that fans can scan to enhance their digital collections.

Panini America will host events for fans to meet, trade, and swap stickers, fostering community and enabling them to complete collections. Four mobile tour vehicles will make stops at retailers like Target, Walmart, and Dick’s Sporting Goods across the U.S. 

The company is also launching the Sticker Swap app that helps track which stickers are missing from your collection and where to find additional trading opportunities. As the tournament inches closer to its start, “We’re going to see more of that come to fruition,” Howarth says, noting that more opportunities to collect and connect are on the horizon.

Another way for fans to connect is with Monogram International’s Figural Bag Clips ($7.99). The surprise bags, available at major retailers, deliver cartoon-inspired players from all three host countries. “The FIFA World Cup 2026 is a huge opportunity to connect with a global fanbase,” says Alys Dickerson, sales and licensing specialist for Monogram International. “It gives us a great moment to show fans what we can do.”

Monogram International’s art team has carefully considered the details, Dickerson says, committing to the players’ hairstyles, facial hair, and team jerseys. “When a piece is well made and thoughtfully designed, it makes collecting more exciting and becomes a fun extension of the overall World Cup experience for fans,” she says.

Each bag clip collection features 11 players per team, so athletes who may typically receive less fanfare get a moment in the spotlight. “That adds another layer of excitement for fans, especially those looking to collect or track down specific rare players,” Dickerson says.

Through the series, fans can collect as they would with trading cards — plus, they can easily wear their team pride. “We hope fans have fun searching for their favorite players,” she says. “There is also a great opportunity for trading and sharing collections with friends, which adds another layer of fun.”

Pop Mart’s viral Labubu are also launching before the tournament. The Monsters X FIFA series was released online and in stores in April. It spans several categories, with Vinyl Plush Pendant Keychains ($32.99), Vinyl Plush Dolls ($149.99), and a Lifestyle Collection ($12.99-29.99). “We hope this collection brings joy to athletes and fans,” says Pop Mart Americas’ Head of Licensing Emily Brough, who calls the collection “a milestone moment.” This is the first collection for a stadium series, but Pop Mart hopes it sets the foundation for the future, Brough says.

Fans can upsize their collection with Soccer Funko Pop! Vinyl Figures ($15 each). The collection celebrates three mascots: Maple, the moose from Canada; Zayu, the jaguar from Mexico; and Clutch, the bald eagle from the U.S.  

Jason Bischoff, Funko’s vice president of licensing and business development, calls the mascot trio “the perfect intersectionality of fans and culture,” noting that, because he has family in Canada, he is loyal to Maple.

Funko is committed to detail, focusing on nuance, pose, and signature moves. “You’d be surprised how convincing some of them are,” Bischoff says. “Simply, it’s about us doing what we do every day, showing up for fans, but on a bigger stage.”

At home and at the stadium, fans can find comfort in the stress of the game through Jazwares, which transformed the tournament’s mascots into 8-inch Squishmallows ($12.99 each). The company also offers a 10-inch bear ($19.99) and a trophy plush ($9.99). “It made perfect sense to collaborate with FIFA to authentically reach a new global audience through the sport they love — soccer,” says Gerhard Runken, Jazwares’ chief brand officer.

The collection can serve as home decor or accompany fans to games. Jazwares understands the versatility Squishmallows offers. “Softness, style, displayability, and exclusivity are elemental,” he says. “We know authenticity and respect matter.”

The World Cup only takes place every four years, and “this year is going to be massive,” Panini America’s Howarth promises. And, there are options for fans to connect at home and in the soccer community.

“This year is especially historic with three host countries,” Runken notes. “Fans want more than just merchandise with logos — they want memorabilia.” Luckily for them, U.S. Soccer and the companies making souvenirs are up to the task.

“We’re always listening to fans and paying attention to how they want to play,” Baker says, as Hasbro focuses “on new ways to bring people together.”

JT Batson, CEO of the U.S. Soccer Federation, agrees. “We have three ambitions,” he says. “One, we want our teams to win on the world stage. Two, we want everyone who cares about this sport to feel ownership of its future. And three, we want U.S. Soccer to be everywhere.” 

Through collectibles and fandom, that may be possible. “It’s about being a part of the moment,” Bischoff says.