Half of the selected LEGO Editions footballers have been knocked out of the World Cup in the Round of 16 – earlier than both the LEGO Group and their respective national teams would have hoped.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Vinícius Júnior, and Kylian Mbappé all received LEGO sets in May ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the expectation that all four would make it to the latter stages of the tournament.
However, before even reaching the true crunch stages of the competition, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Vinícius Júnior’s Brazil have already been eliminated.
Ronaldo received two sets to celebrate the tournament: 43012 Cristiano Ronaldo – Football Highlights and 43016 Cristiano Ronaldo – Football Legend. The latter is currently 15% off during LEGO Insiders Days. However, his Portugal side were beaten 1-0 by European champions Spain.
Vinícius Júnior received just a single set, 43027 Vini Jr. – Football Highlights, but both he and Brazil would have been hoping to make a much deeper run in the tournament. Instead, in their first World Cup appearance in 28 years, Norway knocked out the Seleção in dramatic fashion.
This raises questions over the LEGO Group’s selection of players. If they were chosen purely for their footballing achievements and global appeal, then Ronaldo and Vini Jr. were obvious choices.
However, as sets tied specifically to the World Cup, they could now be viewed as questionable selections. Neither Portugal nor Brazil showed enough to justify the hype, and both players will be absent from the tournament’s final 11 days.
Teams such as Spain, Norway, and England all entered the tournament without LEGO Editions players, yet have progressed into the latter stages. Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, and Lamine Yamal all could have represented strong choices for the LEGO Group.
Perhaps they would not have generated the same excitement as a Cristiano Ronaldo set, but they would have been comparable to Vinícius Júnior in terms of popularity and performance.
What cannot be disputed, however, is the LEGO Group’s decision to bring Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé into brick form.
Both players are enjoying tournaments to remember, battling for the Golden Boot while continuing to break records. They have also become the highest-scoring World Cup players of all time during this tournament, making the LEGO Group’s design choices look increasingly inspired.
43013 Kylian Mbappé – Football Highlights remains available and could grow in popularity as France and Mbappé continue their impressive run.
Lionel Messi’s three sets may benefit from the same momentum. 43011 Lionel Messi – Football Highlights and 43018 Lionel Messi – Celebration are available now at full price, while, similarly to Ronaldo’s Football Legend set, 43015 Lionel Messi – Football Legend is currently 15% off during LEGO Insiders Days.
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