The 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony, held at Mexico City’s historic Azteca Stadium, featured an unexpected highlight that captured global attention: LABUBU, the designer toy intellectual property created by POP MART and artist Kasing Lung.

During the early hours of the event, two oversized LABUBU mascots appeared on the pitch, becoming one of the most talked-about moments of the ceremony, particularly among Chinese audiences.

The two characters were presented in playful costumes: one wore Argentina’s national team jersey and held the FIFA World Cup trophy, while the other was dressed in Mexico’s colors and carried a bucket of popcorn.

Their staged interaction on the field drew reactions from both live spectators and millions of viewers worldwide, quickly spreading across social media platforms.

According to the report, this marks the first time since the World Cup’s inception in 1930 that a Chinese original intellectual property has been officially featured in an opening ceremony performance.

The appearance generated significant online engagement in China, with hashtags related to LABUBU trending on Weibo and users expressing a mix of humor and national pride.

Following the ceremony, POP MART announced a global merchandise collaboration with FIFA under the THE MONSTERS × FIFA World Cup line, including blind boxes and themed products.The collection was released in more than 40 countries and regions and reportedly sold out quickly online.

Beyond its entertainment value, LABUBU’s appearance reflects FIFA’s growing engagement with younger global audiences, especially in Asia, and highlights the increasing international influence of Chinese-designed IPs.

POP MART also reported strong commercial performance for its LABUBU franchise, which has become a globally recognized brand in the designer toy market.