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The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature customized Man of the Match trophies for each of the 104 matches in next year's tournament.
With the help of Michelob Ultra and FIFA, trophy maker Victor Solomon will have his handcrafted trophies, first revealed on Thursday's “Fox & Friends,” presented to the stars of each game.
“No nonsense, this team and this opportunity has been one of the most fun creative collaborations I've ever had,” Solomon said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
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Argentine striker Lionel Messi lifts the FIFA World Cup Trophy as he celebrates with his supporters winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha, on December 18, 2022. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images)
“We'll have a partner who will come in and say, 'Okay, we've got to have this, we've got to have this, and this is what we want it to look like. Here's a shipboard, a bunch of things that it should look like.' I think with what we had done with the [NBA] Championship bottle previously, I think maybe I had a little bit of equity with the team, but Michelob Ultra came to me and said, 'whatever you want to do.' “And they really gave me the creative flexibility and freedom to explore what would be a relevant object for this honor.”
Solomon has created numerous trophies in the past, including the Larry O'Brien Trophy awarded to NBA champions. For the last NBA Finals, he also designed Michelob Ultra championship bottles that were given to the Oklahoma City Thunder to celebrate in the locker room.
“I've had the distinct privilege of being a part of milestones in sports in the basketball space, and I think my partnership with Michelob Ultra was a lot of fun for both parties in reimagining the championship bottle. I think everyone said, 'This was great, we had a great time working together, let's just remember it again. And by the way, it's going to be the biggest, craziest international stage ever,'” Solomon said. “It's wonderful to work with the team again to consider this honor and think about how we can elevate it for such an exciting moment.”
The trophy has an hourglass shape similar to the World Cup trophy, as well as a 26-degree slope at the top to represent the year of the tournament. There are also 104 facets, which represent the number of matches in the tournament.
Every “Top Player of the Match” in all 104 World Cup matches will receive this trophy. (Michelob Ultra)
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And the slope at the top is open, a “narrative point” that Solomon wanted to have on the trophy for a very specific reason.
“We've heard from all the players in all the sports, all the players want mugs where they can have the time to be in the locker room and have drinks,” Solomon said.
So expect them to drink some Michelob Ultras from the trophy. But Solomon said it's a way for athletes and fans watching at home to have some kind of commonality.
“Guys like you and me, when we're done with our day, we might get a Michelob Ultra, that's our trophy for the day. 'I earned this s**t. I'm going to relax a little.'” So as we were looking at the formal approach of this trophy, we loved the idea of it being something that had the functionality to drink if someone wanted to go that route, just to symbolize the parallel between the fans at home who are watching this, and are having their own trophy experience with Michelob Ultra and then, what Michelob Ultra possesses with their player at the end of the match, they can also crown their achievement. So that was a very important part,” Solomon said.
And just like celebrating with a beer, Solomon recognizes the hard work that goes into it.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup promotion is displayed at MetLife Stadium following an announcement by FIFA on February 5, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Eduardo Muñoz Álvarez/SEE press via Getty Images)
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“When I talk to partners and to leagues, I try to make sure they understand that these guys dedicated their lives to seeking this moment,” he said. “The goal of reaching the top of this experience has to be as innovative, creative and thoughtful as the players chasing it. So having a partner like Michelob Ultra and FIFA who really understood that they wanted to tell that story was also a really exciting part of this process.”
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