FIFA removed its initial promotional poster for the 2026 World Cup from social media following fan backlash over the exclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo. The poster featured one player from each of the 42 qualified nations but represented Portugal with Bruno Fernandes instead of the captain. A revised version now includes Ronaldo alongside Lionel Messi holding the World Cup trophy.
The controversy erupted when FIFA released a promotional poster on its social media channels to build excitement for the 2026 World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada starting in June 2026. The image highlighted global stars such as Lionel Messi for Argentina, Kylian Mbappé for France, Erling Haaland for Norway, Vinícius Jr. for Brazil, Mohamed Salah for Egypt, Sadio Mané for Senegal, Achraf Hakimi for Morocco, Harry Kane, James Rodríguez, Son Heung-min, and Jordan Ayew, among others. It aimed to represent one player from each of the 42 teams already qualified for the expanded 48-nation tournament, ahead of the official draw on December 5, 2025.
However, the omission of Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal's captain and the all-time leading goalscorer in soccer history, drew immediate criticism. Fans accused FIFA of disrespect and poor marketing judgment, with one commenting on X: “How can Cristiano Ronaldo be missing? He is the biggest face in the sport, no debate.” Another added: “It’s hard to understand FIFA leaving Cristiano Ronaldo out of the official World Cup poster. From a marketing standpoint, he’s the most influential athlete on the planet, the kind of face that sells a tournament.” Portugal's representative was instead Bruno Fernandes, sparking outrage over what many saw as an illogical choice given Ronaldo's prominence and his upcoming sixth World Cup appearance.
Hours after the backlash, FIFA deleted the original poster without issuing a statement or explaining the “bizarre error,” as described in reports. The governing body quickly replaced it with a new version that added Ronaldo, while also featuring Messi with the World Cup trophy and an image of Youssef En-Nesyri's goal that beat Portugal. The incident has fueled debates on the Ronaldo-Messi rivalry and FIFA's promotional decisions, though no further details on the selection process were provided.
