There are many reasons to look forward to a World Cup. Though the tournament has undergone significant changes since its inception, the promise of unorthodox international clashes, aggressively happy mascots, tournament-ready kits and the perfect conditions for iconic moments to be forged is something we can always look forward to.
Another often underappreciated staple of the World Cup is the official poster. A part of the competition since the first edition (Uruguay 1930), the posters have helped mark tournaments from an aesthetic point of view with a wide variety of artistic styles explored throughout the years.
With the release of the 16 official 2026 World Cup posters (one for each host city), we wanted to see if any of the new efforts could hold their own against the best of previous posters. In the end 4 made our top 20 list; a solid effort given the calibre of competition.
All 16 official 2026 World Cup posters
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Top 20 World Cup posters ever
20 - 2026 World Cup poster - Canada, Mexico, USA (Los Angeles)
True to form, LA’s poster for next year’s World Cup has more than a little bit of movie poster about it. In fact, if you’d have told me they were reviving the Goal! series I’d have believed you (in the best possible sense).
19 - 1962 World Cup poster - Chile
There’s something about the way the football overlaps the globe here that really works, almost as if we’re in space seeing the moon partially covering the surface of Earth.
18 - 1958 World Cup poster - Sweden
The ‘flags of the world’ motif is a recurring idea seen on a number of World Cup posters, and it was well used on this stripped down, punchy effort from the 50s.
17 - 1994 World Cup poster - USA
The painterly style of USA 94’s poster has a charming quality to it, with tiny stars and even planets nestled amongst the colourful skyline.
16 - 2026 World Cup poster - Canada, Mexico, USA (Boston)
One of a number of unique looks amongst the 2026, I’m a big fan of Boston’s busy design which puts a giant lobster at the heart of the action. This is the kind of poster which you want to comb through for details.
15 - 1990 World Cup poster - Italy
With its crushed black and white aesthetic the Italia 90 poster is as aggressive as they come, and yet the juxtaposition of the flag and pitch graphic in the middle of the colosseum injects a surprising twist.
14 - 2018 World Cup poster - Russia
The Soviet-era art direction of Russia’s World Cup poster might have been expected, but the return of a goalkeeper (the legendary Lev Yashin) to the scene was a welcome nod which paid tribute to some of the great posters of old.
13 - 2026 World Cup poster - Canada, Mexico, USA (New York/New Jersey)
New York/New Jersey’s poster wraps up a giant football, the Statue of Liberty and typically “New York” colours of oranges and blues in a tasty street art style.
12 - 2010 World Cup poster - South Africa
The memorable look of the player’s head shaped like the continent of Africa was a powerful image, symbolising the significance of the 2010 tournament.
11 - 1950 World Cup poster - Brazil
There are not enough words available to describe the audacity of the sock design here. A vexillologist’s dream.
10 - 1978 World Cup poster - Argentina
Hailing from the golden era of World Cup posters, the Argentina design stands out on account of having multiple teammates; a curious note considering the nature of the sport.
9 - 2002 World Cup poster - Korea/Japan
More than any other poster on this list, this 2002 edition could double up as an Olympic poster. The brushstroke aesthetic adds plenty too.
8 - 1938 World Cup poster - France
The first poster which played on the globe idea was one of the better ones. We also have some superb typefaces on show; a running theme in the top 10 of this list.
7 - 1982 World Cup poster - Spain
Employing a surrealist approach, the 1982 poster (which was part of an incredible collection of designs for the tournament) is the kind of piece which can take on different meanings each time you look at it. Personally I see a dancing frog.
6 - 1998 World Cup poster - France
Colourful, scattered and extremely 90s, the France 98’ poster managed to channel the carnival atmosphere a World Cup can generate.
5 - 2026 World Cup poster - Canada, Mexico, USA (Toronto)
Dave Murray’s poster for Toronto next year is triumph. Call it recency bias but it stands out as a possible new entry in the “greatest of all time” conversation.
4 - 1930 World Cup poster - Uruguay
Though the 1930 poster isn’t winning any awards for legibility, its distinctive style marks it out as a classic. That it was the first ever World Cup only helps.
3 - 1974 World Cup poster - West Germany
The contrast between the pitch black background and the player striking the ball powerfully into the top corner (presumably) is an extremely strong look.
2 - 1954 World Cup poster - Switzerland
This ticks every box. A rare goalkeeper appearance, a giant football which is masquerading as the Death Star and that otherworldly quality that a more abstract illustration provides.
1 - 1970 World Cup poster - Mexico
Often imitated but never bettered, the Mexico 1970 World Cup poster is as evocative as many of the great kits the tournament has seen. The primary typeface alone is one we could write stories about.
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