At the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup (co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico) held on the 11th, China's art toy "LABUBU" appeared, creating a lively atmosphere at the venue. This was reported by Xinhua News Agency.

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Making a surprise appearance at the opening ceremony and captivating the supporters' eyes were not legendary soccer players or mascot characters, but two LABUBU figures, one brown and one blue, characterized by nine jagged teeth. Holding a bouquet and popcorn, they "ran wild," and finally, together they lifted a mini version of the "FIFA World Cup Trophy," adding to the excitement.

While the previous image of China at the World Cup might have been that of Chinese brands and company advertisements lining the pitch, this time, LABUBU not only conveyed that China has "high manufacturing capabilities" but also promoted that China has a "cute" side. A unique comment from a Chinese netizen, "Since the Chinese national team could not participate in the World Cup, 'Guochao,' a trend of stylish domestic products incorporating traditional Chinese elements, participated instead," reflects the fact that "even if the level of hard power in soccer has not yet caught up to the World Cup, soft power can rapidly overtake others, like a trailing car speeding past on a race curve."

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) invited LABUBU, with the aim of increasing its fanbase and capturing the hearts of young people.

For many years, World Cup fans have primarily been men, whereas LABUBU's main fans are young women. FIFA is undoubtedly aiming to break away from the situation where male fans dominate by featuring LABUBU, characterized by its rabbit-like ears and jagged teeth, and to capture the hearts of women who, despite having little interest in soccer, love popular cultural creative goods and are willing to open their wallets for emotional and aesthetic value. This shift from a "pure international sports competition" to a "global pop culture party" can be considered a brilliant move by FIFA.

It is also very important that LABUBU's appearance at the World Cup opening ceremony signifies an update in the dissemination paradigm of Chinese cultural IP. After the opening ceremony, many people added LABUBU figures wearing tournament-limited uniforms to their "shopping carts." For the first time in World Cup history, LABUBU, a Chinese original art toy IP that collaborated with FIFA and appeared on the opening ceremony stage, made a splendid international debut. (Source/People's Daily Online Japanese Edition, Editor/KN)