Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr: Behind the scenes on Lego World Cup trophy ad 2026

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior have each been portrayed in LEGO bricks as part of a series of special sets created for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Four of the best-known athletes in the world, the quartet were given a chance to inspect their likenesses, including a recreation of Ronaldo’s Siuuu celebration pose in an 854-piece model that can also be configured to carry off a bicycle kick.

“We collected so many options on wigs and facial expressions and we were constantly going back and forth with the teams, showing what we were doing and exploring,” said LEGO’s Sanne van Kesteren, speaking to AS.

“We wanted to show any other details they have, like Messi’s tattoos, for example.”

Lego World Cup set: ‘Everyone wants a piece’

Vinicius Junior’s Football Highlights set – part of a series described as a “cinematic snapshot” of the players – is made up of 510 pieces.

In an advert to promote the sets, the players build a replica of the tournament trophy and smile at each other around a table, accompanied by the tagline “everyone wants a piece”.

“We needed to look into what hairpiece we were using and how to get the face correct,” Van Kesteren said of the works, recalling feeling “a little nervous” before showing the Siuuu piece to Ronaldo’s team.

“That was the one we believed in the most, because it’s super iconic and the kids are going to love it.

“Especially on the expressions: ‘Should we have a more smiley face, a more determined face?’ We decided to have two faces for Ronaldo.

“Of course, when we showed it, we were a little tense – but the team really liked that. They were actually talking about it all the time, saying ‘I love this face’. That’s the one in the packaging shot.”

Ronaldo on Messi, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr

Ronaldo described the Argentina captain, France skipper Mbappe and Brazil superstar Vinicius Jr as “incredible” and said he was “honored” to have been part of the set.

The designs are built on letter-shaped bases and feature the colors of the players’ national shirts alongside a collectible plaque and minifigure.

Ronaldo and Mbappe’s likenesses contain 490 pieces, with 2022 World Cup winner Messi’s made of 500.

Designer Freddy Charters said his highlight of the project was meeting Messi to show him the set he had been “working for months on”.

“If you’re a fan of football, you should be a fan of Messi,” said Charters. “He’s a brilliant player and I’ve followed his life and career since I was very young.

“He expressed that his family was really into LEGO building. He said it was surreal for him to now see himself in LEGO form and that his family would now be building a set based on him, which is amazing.”

How much are the Lego World Cup sets?

The Messi and Ronaldo Soccer Legends pieces are $79.99, with a Messi celebration design costing $199.99.

“Similar to football, LEGO play is all about building and rebuilding, trying new things, learning from mistakes and celebrating successes,” said Messi, adding that he was “thrilled” for fans to try the sets.

“I love how these LEGO sets bring my on-pitch moments to life in a fun and imaginative way.”

LEGO football advert: How to buy the World Cup sets

The football sets are available from LEGO’s site, with some on pre-order when the commercial aired on April 2.

The trophy set seen in the advert is priced at $199.99 and a World Cup football is $129.99.

A FIFA World Cup trophy emblem set and a US national team jersey are available for $24.99 each.

Messi, Ronaldo, Vinicius Jr, Mappe World Cup fixtures

Should they play at the 2026 World Cup finals, the quartet could each take part in three group stage fixtures and a maximum of five knockout stage matches.

The finals are being held in the USA, Canada and Mexico and start on June 11.

Here are the players’ confirmed fixtures in the group stage. Asterisk denotes a match starting the following day in the UK.

Media used with permission. ©2025 The LEGO Group.