I just went through FIFA’s entire 28-page World Cup 2026 Intellectual Property guideline, and here’s the simplest summary:
A lot of designers think FIFA is coming after anyone who makes a World Cup-themed design.
That’s not really what the document says.
From what I read, FIFA’s main concern is businesses, brands, advertisers, merch sellers, and companies trying to make it look like they’re officially connected to the World Cup when they’re not.
For example:
❌ Using the official FIFA World Cup logo to advertise your business.
❌ Selling shirts with FIFA World Cup branding.
❌ Running giveaways, promotions, or campaigns using FIFA branding.
❌ Making people think your company is an official World Cup sponsor.
That’s the type of stuff FIFA is actively trying to stop.
But if you're a designer creating a concept poster, fan art, UI concept, branding exploration, stadium visual, or portfolio project just to showcase your skills, that’s a completely different conversation.
The guideline even mentions that fans using and sharing content without commercial intent is generally accepted.
So if you're posting a personal project on X, or Instagram because you love football and want to flex your creativity, you're probably not the audience FIFA is worried about.
The safest approach?
Create football-inspired work.
Use your own illustrations.
Use your own typography.
Use your own concepts.
Just avoid copying official FIFA logos, official branding assets, slogans, and other protected marks, especially if money, clients, advertising, or promotions are involved.
After reading the entire thing, my takeaway is simple:
FIFA is mostly protecting sponsorship money and official partnerships.
They're not spending their days hunting down every designer who made a cool World Cup concept poster for their portfolio.