FIFA delete social media post after Ronaldo omission brings fan backlash

It was the first official poster for the 2026 World Cup

The post was made after this week's international fixtures saw the 42nd nation secure qualification for the North American World Cup, which will take place across Mexico, Canada, and the USA next summer.

There are now just six spots still available, which will be decided during playoffs in March.

In order to celebrate the achievements of the successful 42, on Thursday FIFA released the first official poster for the tournament, featuring a host of the game's biggest stars, with one surprising omission.

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Fans on social media were quick to notice that Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was nowhere to be seen, and had been replaced by Man United's Bruno Fernandes as the European nation's only representative.

One took to X to write: "2026 World Cup poster without Ronaldo? Feels weird. He was the face of every tournament for almost two decades, alongside Messi."

The mass of negative responses from fans prompted FIFA to delete the post, and replace it with another poster, that featured Ronaldo.

Although yet unsuccessful in a World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players in football history.

Over the past two decades, he has won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid and back in 2016 he secured a major trophy with Portugal, the European Championships.

Last month, the 40-year-old confirmed that the North American World Cup would be his last before retirement.