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2010, South Africa
The poster for next year’s World Cup was designed by the South African creative agency Switch (yawn). It won a public vote held throughout South Africa from 11-30 September 2007. You can see two of the other contenders in our gallery.
Joseph S. Blatter, the idiot in charge of FIFA, said this: "Portraying a country in the shape of a man heading a ball is a new idea with potent symbolism. For me, football is all about emotion and passion, which is why I was particularly attracted to this poster.’ He’s a dick, isn’t he?
We like it because the South Africans seem to be saying that the World Cup is not just theirs, but the whole continent’s. A good spirit, chaps.
2006, Germany
Not one of the most iconic ones in our book. It would seem the Germans are mocking us for 1990 here, by showing exactly where in the cosmos the ball ended up after Chris Waddle’s penalty kick in 1990 (sorry, Chris). They had shit mascots too (Goleo and Ville II).
2002, South Korea/Japan
Brush strokes and oriental symbolism. We wouldn’t have been surprised if David Beckham’s face was hidden in there somewhere too, such was the fervour when ol’ Goldenballs planted his toes on Oriental soil. We don’t rate this one much.
1998, France
Has anything in the world ever looked more French than this poster? We saw a bloke with yellow teeth, chewing a garlic baguette whilst smoking a Gitanes and pedalling a unicycle this morning and he didn’t look half as French as this does. We like.
1994, USA
Most things about this tournament annoyed us, from Diana Ross pissing all over the opening ceremony to Dunga’s boring Brazil team triumphing at its denouement. Still, because the Yanks didn’t really give a shit about the football, at least you could get a ticket. (The picture on the poster depicts a homosexual man stretching his hamstrings before a slightly disturbing Poppers session on Old Compton Street.)
1990, Italy
This is dead good this one. The Coliseum is still the greatest thing in Italy and this poster pays due homage. It was a gladiatorial global contest too. Our battle with the Germans in the semi said it all. Best tourney ever. And a great poster to match.
1986, Mexico
Ah, so that’s where Lucas’s cronies got the inspiration for the Phantom Menace poster, we hear you say. This is an absolutely banging piece of design. We have it hanging on our wall at home. It’s a shame they couldn’t use the official ball (the Azteca) on the poster. A consequence of having to launch it dead early we presume.
1982, Spain
This wouldn’t look out of place in an art gallery full of that Picasso chap’s stuff. He was Spanish too (his full name is Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso) and we’d hang this on our wall over his stuff any day. Awesomeness.
1978, Argentina
There’s something about this we just love. Not only does the main dude in the pic look like every bygone South American footballer we’ve ever admired, it’s just super-cool with its dot matrix design and that. Iconic.
1974, West Germany
If this fella’s ain’t indicative of the deep-lying teutonic efficiency we’ve always associated with our German compadres then we don’t know what is. The hosts triumphed over Cruyff’s artful Dutch in the final by utilising this archaic yet still rather pertinent stereotype.
1970, Mexico
Mexicans ain’t really known for their art, but the simplicity of this poster, for us, makes it second only to their 1986 effort. It’s just beautiful. And we get to see it loads as this is generally regarded (usually by older types) to be the greatest tournament in World Cup history.
1966, England
We invented football in its current format, don’tchaknow. And we also introduced World Cup mascots to the world. Here’s the young chap, World Cup Willy, kicking one of them old-school brown-panelled balls into kingdom come. Whether it crossed the line or not has never been disclosed. (Notice the Union Jack flag is used, not the George Cross.)
1962, Chile
Chile would have no hope of getting the World Cup nowadays. They did in 1962 though and if they were dead chuffed it didn’t come across in their brilliantly understated poster. Again, we liketh muchly.
1958, Sweden
In a tournament where the Europeans were expected to dominate, an 18-year-old Pele bossed the show. Attaching scarfs to the match ball never really caught on though.
1954, Switzerland
No wonder the Swiss didn’t make the final if they had Mother Theresa in goal with a pair of Marigolds on. We love this poster though.
1950, Brazil
How old-school is this pose? Harry Enfield’s Charles Charlie Charles would be proud. And if we got the opportunity to wear these socks then by golly we would take it. We may be beaten up down the park rather badly and mocked relentlessly by men, women and children alike, but we would wear them with idiotic pride.
1938, France
Poster design was proper back in the day. They didn’t need overblown visual metaphors, a 10-million colour palette and an overpriced Apple Macintosh. No, siree bob. They just required some old-school stencils and a good idea involving a football and the world. And it always worked.
1934, Italy
This reminds us of all them art deco prints you get in posh coffee shops that your bird drags you into for skinny lattes and pastries. But it’s much better than them. Honestly, we could look at these posters all day. They’re ace.
1930, Uruguay
Official World Cup posters were introduced in 1930, probably because that’s when the first one was held. Does this one look like it was conceived by a graphic designer though? Does it heck. This was done by an artist. We imagine opiates and heavy printing presses were involved. A forerunner to posterised greatness yet to come.
You can buy these here to decorate your pad. We did: http://www.sporting-greats.co.uk/world-cupposters/
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