Soccer fans, the World Cup is back this weekend. I know, I know, it looks a little different than usual.
For those who don’t obsess over the beautiful game like us (me), let us explain: This year’s World Cup is in Qatar, and to have the tournament in the usual summer months would have been dangerous because of high temperatures. So, FIFA moved the tournament to November – December, making it a lot more safe for players and fans.
What that means for us, here in promotional products world, is that those collectible scarves that soccer fans love so much are about to be a lot more useful in everyday life during the 2022 World Cup.
Scarves aside, a tournament like the World Cup or Olympics always comes with a lot of great merchandise and collectibles, and this year’s World Cup is no different. With the fact that it coincides with the holiday season, we thought we’d highlight some of our favorite branded gifts and merchandise from Qatar.
1. World Cup Christmas Tree Ornament
This has to be No. 1, right? If you’re going to have the final a week before Christmas, a tree ornament is a must.
This one features the tournament’s mascot, La’eeb, which is sort of hard to describe. That, actually was the driving force behind his design. Here’s what FIFA says about La’eeb:
La’eeb is an Arabic word meaning super-skilled player. He belongs to a parallel mascot-verse that is indescribable – everyone is invited to interpret what it looks like. La’eeb encourages everyone to believe in themselves as ‘Now is All’. He will bring the joy of football to everyone.
The Olympics also lean heavily on mascots for their marketing, so there’s no doubt La’eeb will be a visible component of the World Cup’s branding efforts.
2. World Cup Replica Trophy
When the Premier League Fan Festival came through Philadelphia, I got my photo taken with the actual Premier League trophy. I was instructed that under no circumstances was I allowed to touch it. That right is reserved for the winners. I couldn’t even pretend for a moment that I had won it for my beloved Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Well, thanks to Soccer.com I can at least pretend that the USA created the Cinderella story of the century, and brought the trophy (OK, a smaller version) back to good old Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Team USA-ers Brenden Aaronson and Christian Pulisic can come over and take a picture with it, too.
3. World Cup Trophy Beer Glass
Look, I’m plenty excited about this U.S. team. There is some real talent and I think they could make a run into the knockout stages (as long as we get past Wales, which I think is a dark horse team). In case we don’t, my fellow Americans can pour our favorite beverage into this trophy and celebrate the good moments (please) and commiserate over the not-so-good moments. This might actually be as close as the Americans get to the trophy this year.
It also comes with a fun little sticker set to decorate the glass.
4. Tournament Schedule Poster
Speaking of stickers, this poster is a really fun way to keep track of all of the games and winners throughout the month-long tournament. This is pretty ideal for sports bars and pubs who want to invite fans to watch the games there, or schools getting in on the global spirit of the tournament. Also, it’s great for at-home viewers just looking to spice up their own World Cup watch parties.
5. Snow Globe
It won’t be snowy in Qatar, but the temperatures are dropping everywhere else. While the players duke it out on the pitch, the rest of us can get cozy for the competition with this snow globe, which features a 3-D version of the 2022 World Cup logo and glittering specs of gold.
