FIFA World Cup 26 Official Brand Unveiled

FIFA unveiled the official branding for the 2026 World Cup on May 17 at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, putting the actual trophy and the tournament hosting year in the logo for the first time ever.

“Today’s launch is the culmination of an exciting collaboration between FIFA and the 16 host cities,” said Colin Smith, chief operating officer World Cup, FIFA. “Months ago, we embarked on a creative journey together to ensure that the colors, cultures, people, and places synonymous with each city were ingrained in every element of the city brand identities. We’re all thrilled to be able to reveal this unique artwork to the world along with our country and city partners and can’t wait to see them applied to channels and locations intended to excite and welcome fans for 26.”

The image of the trophy and the year allow for customization for each host’s local logo, which will be rolled out throughout the week, while building an identifiable brand structure for years to come. The launch also introduced WE ARE 26, a campaign to tell people’s own World Cup stories.​

“WE ARE 26 is a rallying cry,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “It’s a moment when three countries and an entire continent collectively say: ‘We are united as one to welcome the world and deliver the biggest, best and most inclusive FIFA World Cup ever.’ The tournament will enable each host country and participating team to write their own page in the history books of FIFA World Cups and this unique brand is a major step on that road to 2026.”

Wednesday night’s attendees at launch included Infantino and Ronaldo, two-time FIFA World Cup winner with Brazil.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been billed as the biggest yet with 48 teams, three countries and more host cities than ever before. And throughout the process from FIFA’s visiting host city candidates, to the day of the announcement last July of which cities will host games and an inside view of what it was like for the cities, SportsTravel has been detailing the saga. Read our latest dispatch here.

The 2026 World Cup will be held in June and July 2026, with the champions being crowned on July 19, 2026. The four-team group stage phase remains ahead of an expanded knockout phase that will see 32 teams advance. CONMEBOL will be the first confederation to kick off the road to 2026, with current champions Argentina and fellow South American teams starting their qualifiers in September 2023.

“The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be a festival of football that will take the sport to new heights in the Concacaf region and beyond,” FIFA Vice President and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani said. “I look forward with great anticipation to continuing to work with all of the host cities, the team at FIFA and the many important stakeholders involved in delivering what will be the biggest and most inclusive and diverse World Cup ever.”

“The FIFA World Cup 26 brand launch for Los Angeles is more than just a grand reveal, it’s a statement of intent to the world that we remain the premier destination for the biggest sporting events across the globe,” said Kathryn Schloessman, president and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission. “And while we have great aspirations for the tournament’s potential to grow soccer in every one of our fellow host cities and countries, we’re dedicated to the many channels in which this brand can impact the lives of the Los Angeles community.”

On Thursday, the 16 host cities launched individual brands that was celebrated in every city. Each logo is seen below