The 2026 FIFA World Cup will mark the first time soccer’s biggest men’s tournament has taken place in the United States (at least partly) since the early 1990s. And judging by the early reveal of the tournament’s logo, FIFA might not be entirely ready for the spectacle of the moment.
On Wednesday night, FIFA unveiled the “We Are 26” logo for the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S., Mexico, and Canada will jointly host. If the intention was to build hype with the logo, the objective clearly failed. If the intention was to create skepticism about FIFA’s direction with the tournament over one mere graphic design snafu, the mission succeeded.
Because it is terrible.
#WeAre26 pic.twitter.com/H1SyqypUYY
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) May 18, 2023
I mean, seriously: Whose bright idea was it to simply superimpose the World Cup trophy over a generic and white “2” and “6”? There is nothing interesting about this logo. There is nothing that says, “I am now visually stimulated for one of the biggest events in soccer.”
This is the definition of a whiff on a free kick.
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Soccer fans on Twitter overwhelmingly couldn't believe the awfulness of the 2026 FIFA World Cup logo
… that's it?😳
Shoutout the person who got paid to make this logo. You have won. https://t.co/V3rXoMVd3e
— Adrian Sousa | Rabona TV (@Rabona_TV) May 18, 2023
is it a good logo? https://t.co/gi0WUwSTA9 pic.twitter.com/ONMo2jxDRC
— Matt Coleman (@_MattColeman) May 18, 2023
Bring me back to the good old days… 🫡 https://t.co/VyWMh7QK1N pic.twitter.com/Vpl0bdxn4E
— Evan Cooper (@Lacazest) May 18, 2023
Wait. Are we far enough into the 21st century now that we're just referring to years with two digits again? https://t.co/C5tAhGY2jC
— Grace Robertson 🏳️⚧️ (@GraceOnFootball) May 18, 2023
2026, the largest World Cup ever, hosted by 3 nations, in a continent w/ a sea of multiculturalism + nationalities, ready to fully celebrate this sport as the WORLD’S GAME WITH LOTS OF COLOR….and you go with a plain, white, chunky 26 w/ the trophy.
*sarcastic slow clap begins* https://t.co/me4PDBHriJ
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) May 18, 2023
Alright so where’s the PR statement about this being some groundbreaking design that represents a new era of football and the ever growing culture of the sport https://t.co/tw2qptdOfB
— Maxwell (@maqwelll) May 18, 2023
To the graphics team: this is a warning https://t.co/SwYncaziPw pic.twitter.com/dv8gKDtpwo
— The Banter Pub FC (@thebanterpubfc) May 18, 2023
🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂
It is objectively hilarious that a design firm got paid millions to come up with this
Of all the cultural designs they could have come up with in North America, they went with a picture of the trophy layered over the number 26?
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/ZRMZFsDOzS
— USMNT 🇺🇸 Thoughts (@USMNT_Thoughts) May 18, 2023
So you’re telling me that the USA, Canada, and Mexico are all hosting the next World Cup together and this is the best logo they could come up with???????? pic.twitter.com/ZXVoKg8vnP https://t.co/YmotOG8TuD
— Matt³³⁺¹⁶ (@FM1_3316) May 18, 2023
