Story perspectives

FIFA Faces Backlash for Excluding Ronaldo from World Cup Poster

11/22/2025

Summary

Story summary

FIFA faced widespread backlash after excluding Cristiano Ronaldo from the promotional poster for the 2026 World Cup, as Ronaldo approaches his sixth World Cup appearance, with fans expressing outrage on social media.
The initial poster featured Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, highlighting star power in the campaign.
FIFA deleted the poster quickly.
FIFA has not provided an explanation for the decision.

History

Historical Context

The 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany faced criticism for its commercialization and player favoritism, notably with Zinedine Zidane's controversial prominence despite France's loss to Italy. This event, which attracted an estimated 715.1 million viewers, set a precedent for FIFA's marketing strategies. Today, the exclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo from the 2026 promotional poster echoes past controversies, highlighting ongoing tensions between player legacies and FIFA's promotional choices.

1 of 2

Story summary

FIFA faced widespread backlash after excluding Cristiano Ronaldo from the promotional poster for the 2026 World Cup, as Ronaldo approaches his sixth World Cup appearance, with fans expressing outrage on social media.
The initial poster featured Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, highlighting star power in the campaign.
FIFA deleted the poster quickly.
FIFA has not provided an explanation for the decision.

1 / 2