FIFA has deleted a promotional poster for the 2026 World Cup following backlash from fans who noticed Cristiano Ronaldo was missing from Portugal's representation. The poster featured stars like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé but used Bruno Fernandes for Portugal instead. The organization removed the image without comment after criticism spread on social media.
With nearly 200 days until the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins, the governing body released a promotional poster to hype the final draw scheduled for December 5 in Washington. The design showcased prominent players from the 42 teams that have qualified directly for the tournament, set to take place from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The poster included Lionel Messi for Argentina, Kylian Mbappé for France, Harry Kane for England, and Erling Haaland for Norway. However, for Portugal, it featured Bruno Fernandes rather than the expected Cristiano Ronaldo, sparking widespread outrage online. Fans from Portugal and beyond accused FIFA of bias, with some pointing to favoritism toward Messi's Argentina.
Social media comments highlighted the controversy: "The editor forgot Ronaldo? Yeah, that's a Messi fan at work, 100%," one user wrote. Another stated, "Ronaldo doesn't need posters. Posters need Ronaldo." A third added, "CR7 missing always brings the heat - no surprise they had to delete it."
FIFA responded by swiftly removing the poster from its official accounts, as reported without providing an explanation. The incident underscores Ronaldo's global influence and the sensitivity around player representations in major tournaments.
Qualified teams include hosts Canada, United States, and Mexico, plus others from CONCACAF like Panama, Curacao, and Haiti; from CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay; from UEFA: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands; from AFC: Saudi Arabia, Australia, Qatar, South Korea, Iran, Japan, Jordan, and Uzbekistan; from CAF: Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia; and from OFC: New Zealand.