Labubu’s World Cup Cameo Tests Pop Mart’s IP Push

Labubu has moved from collectible shelves to the FIFA World Cup stage.

Two giant Labubu mascots appeared during the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony at Mexico City Stadium on June 11, wearing World Cup jerseys and interacting with fans inside the venue.

China Daily reported that the POP MART character became the first Chinese original IP to appear at a FIFA World Cup opening event.

The appearance came as POP MART pushed its THE MONSTERS × FIFA World Cup collection into the tournament conversation, bringing its viral character into soccer, merchandise, music, and live-event culture.

The collection launched simultaneously in more than 40 countries and regions, with online inventory selling out on the first day.

For POP MART, the World Cup gives Labubu a global stage, a sports audience, and a stronger route into licensed entertainment.

From Collectible Drop to Stadium Stage

Labubu’s World Cup role did not start with the opening ceremony.

POP MART and FIFA had already launched a co-branded collection built around the tournament, including a Vinyl Plush Doll, a Vinyl Plush Pendant Keychain, and a FIFA Series Lifestyle Collection.

The line also includes pendant keychains, a mini pendant light blind box, a bottle opener fridge magnet, glass cups, and football mini bags.

Emily Brough, head of licensing at POP MART Americas, called it THE MONSTERS’ first official sports collaboration, making brand licensing central to Labubu's next phase.

The product range gives POP MART more matchday touchpoints around Labubu.

The FIFA products give fans more ways to carry the character through stadiums, watch parties, retail shelves, and social posts. 

Labubu also appeared in the music video for "Goals," a song from the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s official album.

This marked the first time a designer toy brand had appeared in an official FIFA World Cup music video.

The opening ceremony then gave the character live visibility in front of a much larger sports audience.

Together, the music video, stadium cameo, and licensed collection create a clear sales path.

Awareness starts on screen, attention peaks at the ceremony, and the product line gives fans something to buy.

FIFA Gives Labubu a Bigger Job

The World Cup placement arrives at a useful time for Pop Mart.

Pop Mart’s viral Labubu surge helped push the company to a $35 billion valuation, while its Americas revenue rose 1,270% year-over-year in Q3.

That growth has also raised questions about whether POP MART can reduce its dependence on one character before demand softens.

The FIFA collaboration gives the company a way to test Labubu outside the usual collectible-toy cycle.

Instead of relying only on blind boxes and limited editions, POP MART is putting the character into sports entertainment, music, international retail, and official event merchandise.

This changes Labubu’s job from collectible hit to event IP, with a role across mascots, fan rituals, retail, and tournament shopping.

Xinhua reported that Labubu’s rise has matched POP MART’s wider retail expansion, with the company operating 64 stores across the Americas by the end of 2025.

This footprint matters because the World Cup is taking place across North America.

A global broadcast creates attention, but retail access decides whether that attention becomes sales.

The collaboration gives brands three useful takeaways:

• Use live events to stretch IP. A character can gain new meaning when it enters sports, music, and fan rituals.
• Pair attention with merchandise. A viral cameo works harder when audiences can buy into it quickly.
• Scale before the hype fades. Global retail gives viral IP a better chance of lasting beyond one trend cycle.

Labubu’s next challenge is turning a World Cup cameo into a repeatable entertainment platform for Pop Mart.

Our Take: Can POP MART Make Labubu Bigger Than Drops?

We think POP MART’s World Cup play is a hedge against peak Labubu.

The opening ceremony gives the character cultural legitimacy at the exact moment POP MART has to prove its growth is larger than one sellout cycle.

A $35 billion valuation and 1,270% Americas revenue growth set a high bar. The FIFA partnership gives investors, retailers, and licensors a clearer story. Labubu can be staged, licensed, merchandised, and sold through global channels.

The smart part is how many touchpoints sit around the cameo, but the risk is concentration.

If Labubu remains the only character that can create this level of demand, the World Cup is another spike.

If POP MART uses FIFA to teach consumers that THE MONSTERS can live across sports, music, and retail, it starts to look like an entertainment platform.

The cameo proved Labubu can leave the toy aisle.

The next test is whether POP MART can make the audience follow the IP when the tournament moves on.

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