Time travel to the World Cup with Mainzelmännchen, '90s legends, and Goleo.
There are sporting events you look forward to. And then there are FIFA World Cups. The anticipation begins weeks before kick-off. The World Cup special edition is on sale at the newsstand, stickers are exchanged in schoolyards, office betting pools start, and suddenly there are 80 million national coaches again, each convinced they can put together a better squad.
When the word "World Cup" is mentioned, everyone immediately has their own images and moments in mind. Each generation has its own very special World Cup memories. For some, it's the 2006 "Sommermärchen" (Summer Fairytale), for others it's the 2014 title win with the legendary Campo Bahia and the 7:1 in Brazil, or the colorful tournaments of the 90s.
For decades, the Mainzelmännchen have also been an integral part of the big football evenings on ZDF. Between the pre-match report, halftime, and the final whistle, they wished countless people a "Gud'n Aamd" (Good Evening) and are still as much a part of German football and television culture as Bela Réthy's voice or the goal wall shooting in Aktuelles Sportstudio.
That's exactly why the World Cup led us to Mainz. Together with the local store Unsereins, a World Cup pop-up was created directly in the old town. For the weeks of the tournament, we wanted to create a place of vintage World Cup vibes. A place that feels like the tournaments we grew up with and that we still associate with carefree moments.
The focus was on the release of our new Mainzelmännchen Collection. The assortment was complemented by other World Cup-inspired designs from Die Sendung mit der Maus and Captain Tsubasa, as well as specially developed merch shirts for the tournament with motifs centered around legends, memes, and fan culture.
The reactions of the visitors showed us that we were not alone in this longing for some World Cup nostalgia. We repeatedly heard phrases like "This feels like old times" during the tournament. These reactions, in particular, raised the question of why many past World Cups have remained so present to this day?
The World Cup has become bigger, more international, and even more commercial. The 2026 edition was hosted by three host countries for the first time – an exciting step from a sporting perspective, but also a design challenge. How do you develop an identity for several countries at once? Earlier tournaments had a clear signature. The Aztec design of Mexico '86 or the iconic design of USA '94 reflected the culture, colors, and character of the host country. This identity continued on posters, mascots, sticker albums, and merch.
Every World Cup felt a bit like visiting another country. The official logo of the 2026 World Cup, on the other hand, was reduced to a black-and-white year with a trophy, functional and flexible. Just like the 3 mascots, one for each country. They serve their purpose, but who will remember them in 10 years? Perhaps this is symbolic of the development. The more global a World Cup becomes, the more difficult it is to give it a visual signature that leaves a lasting impression. It will be interesting to see whether this World Cup has remained as memorable as past tournaments, or if it lacked its own signature.
We hope everyone had fun visiting our World Cup Pop-Up! If we were able to help revive some memories of special football summers for a few weeks, then we achieved what we set out to do.
In the Football Selection of our Merch Market, you'll find selected football products from authentic brands like Copa, Art of Football, and interesting books about football crests or iconic jerseys:
