In 2026, the FIFA World Cup became the biggest and most competitive stage in football history. LEGO wanted to show up in a way only they could. So instead of leaning into the game’s tropes and traditions, we embraced the chaos and irreverence of young fans who deconstruct the rules and use social media to make the conversation around football more playful, creative, and cheeky.

We brought four biggest icons of the game together, and gave the fans something to play with: a film made to be reinterpreted and remixed entirely on their own terms.

What followed was a global surge of participation, reactions, prompts tutorials, and banter, turning the idea into a cultural phenomenon and the first truly AI-memed ad. Literally, everyone wanted a piece of it.

For even younger fans, we made an animated film, where the four GOATs use the Trophy as a football pitch, kicking off an irreverent battle for the top.

We also brought together World Cup winners – Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Iker Casillas, Sami Khedira and Marco Materazzi – for one more kiss with the trophy. Except this time, it was made of LEGO, and they all kissed it together, at once.

Then, to celebrate the iconic partnership between LEGO and Leo Messi, we pointed out the obvious:
It was in the name all along. Just one letter apart.

Right after we dropped the instructions, so every fan could turn their LEGO bag into a ✨ LEO bag ✨:

Then we tapped into Vini Jr and Mbappé’s club teammate relationship and created some silly pranks:

Then the moment every player and team had worked towards finally arrived. The moment when the Trophy deserved to be front and centre. So we put it right in the heart of New York City.

At Rockefeller Plaza, the LEGO Group unveiled the biggest FIFA World Cup Trophy ever built, standing 8.47 metres tall and made from more than 1.36 million LEGO bricks. A trophy so big, it took 59 experts and 7,040 hours to build.

And of course, there was more AI UGC, this one by @vertex.cgi was my favourite:

Created in collaboration with Our Lego Agency
My role: ACD
Director: Dan French / Stink
Photography: Robbie Lawrence

Awards: Cannes Lions Gold, 3 Shortlists