By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
The world’s largest fast service restaurant chain will be celebrating the world’s largest sporting event with a new collection of World Cup collectibles.
McDonald’s is welcoming fans worldwide to celebrate the biggest moments from FIFA World Cup 26 with the limited-time FIFA World Cup 26 Meal and Happy Meal. The launch includes collectible keepsakes featuring global soccer stars and a newly licensed collection of Squishmallows at participating McDonald’s worldwide.
With each meal, fans will also score one of nine collectible cups featuring soccer icons Christian Pulisic, David Beckham, Ronaldinho Gaucho, Thierry Henry, Son Heung-Min, Lamine Yamal, Alphonso Davies, Santiago Gimenez, who will all be hitting the pitch with McDonald’s character Grimace.
Younger fans also get a special collectible for World Cup as each order of the FIFA World Cup 26 Happy Meal comes with one of 23 Squishmallows plushies, including the official mascots for FIFA World Cup 26.
“At McDonald’s, magic happens when families, friends, and fans come together and celebrate with the people they love,” said Morgan Flatley, Global Chief Marketing Officer and Head of New Business Ventures at McDonald’s. “Partnering with the FIFA World Cup 26 allows us to take that shared joy and bring it to life at a global scale through our food, our experiences, and the ways fans connect with the game.”
U.S. Men’s National Team Star Christian Pulisic said McDonald’s has long been part of matchday rituals shared by fans everywhere … and by more than a few elite soccer stars.
“Growing up, it was our ritual after soccer tournaments to go to our McDonald’s near Hershey, PA for Chicken McNuggets and a McFlurry,” Pulisic said. “Those memories were a core part of my childhood and an experience I still share with my teammates today. To now be featured on a McDonald’s collectible cup all these years later is a full-circle moment.”
Fans Can Score Big Beyond the Restaurant
To celebrate FIFA World Cup 26, McDonald’s is also stepping onto the pitch with epic experiences, and these meals are only the beginning. Fans can immerse themselves in the excitement with exclusive in-person and digital experiences, community events, interactive moments and surprises:
The McDonald’s app is bringing fans closer to the FIFA World Cup 26 action with exclusive offers, special tournament rewards and bonus points when you order the meal through the McDonald’s app. And if you’re hosting a watch party at home, McDelivery has you covered so you don’t miss a single goal.
McDonald’s is even putting its own team into the World Cup, known as McDonald’s FC. The company is celebrating the more than 2 million restaurant crew members who make the Golden Arches shine every day.
“To show our appreciation, select Crew from around the world will get once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience the tournament firsthand, from cheering live at host city matches to playing on an official FIFA World Cup 26 pitch!”