New Delhi: As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gears up for the quarter-finals early Friday, a towering 27-foot LEGO replica of the trophy has been placed at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. Large LEGO mini-figures of players such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Vinicius Junior in iconic kits stand guard nearby.
The company specifies that the structure is made of more than 1.36 million LEGO bricks, with the weight of the bricks alone being 4.2 tons. Owing to his height and weight, the structure represents one of the largest Lego builds ever.
“The goal of the Lego World Cup Trophy is to unite people through the love of football and play,” LEGO senior designer Christophe Vietti told Deezeen. “This build brings that celebration to a whole new level and acts as a landmark for the FIFA Fan Fest as a destination in the final stages of the tournament.”
The structure will remain on display till the World Cup Final on 19 July. According to LEGO, the structure is launched alongside the opening of its official FIFA World Cup Fan Village at Rockefeller Center.
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‘Brings people together’
Brazilian legend and two-time World Cup champion unveiled the trophy.
“Kids get together on the street to play soccer, kids get together at home to set up a Lego cup. Look how important this is, how much it brings [people] together,” he told the Washington Post.
The massive golden structure, originally constructed in the Czech Republic, was disassembled and shipped to New York. It was reassembled at the Rockefeller Plaza, and the entire process took more than 7,000 hours. Its presence in one of New York’s most visited public spaces amplifies the global excitement surrounding the 2026 World Cup.
“The Lego model production team did an amazing job putting it together in only eight months and the awe in the eyes of the kids seeing it in Rockefeller Center confirms we are inspiring the next generation of football fans and future Lego builders,” Vietti told Deezeen.
The display forms part of the broader 2026 FIFA World Cup festivities in the US, one of the host nations alongside Canada and Mexico. It also sits well with LEGO’s strategy toward sports. From building cars for F1 drivers to unveiling a giant World Cup trophy, the company has rightfully identified the sports market as a key sector.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup reaches its climax, the monumental LEGO trophy at Rockefeller Plaza serves as a vibrant symbol of football’s universal appeal. As teams vie for glory in the final on 19 July, this brick-built masterpiece reminds fans of the grandeur of the game and its ability to unify.
Meanwhile, France will face Morocco in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final clash early Friday.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)