FIFA World Cup 2026 Limited-Edition Packaging: Ritz, Sour Patch Kids, & Michelob Ultra's Designs

This summer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup marks the 23rd men’s tournament since the tournament first kicked off in Uruguay in 1930. The games will be hosted in the United States, Mexico, and Canada—kicking off on June 11.

Since that first tournament in 1930, the FIFA World Cup has been responsible for some of the most iconic moments in football history. From the infamous Diego Maradona “hand of god” goal in 1986 to the electric final in 2022 that saw France and Argentina combine for six goals in regulation, the quadrennial tournament seems to deliver more drama with each passing edition.

While the football and fans are exciting enough, our team is equally excited about the brand collaborations and limited-edition packaging designs on display for this year’s tournament.

We’ve already published a video where we analyze and perform a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the packaging system used for the 2026 Match Ball—the Trionda. But we wanted to take things a step further.

The Packaging School team flagged our three favorite limited-edition packaging designs launched to support the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) this summer. 

The brands include Ritz (Mondelēz International), Sour Patch Kids (Mondelēz International), and Michelob Ultra (Anheuser-Busch). Let’s kick it off!

Ritz x Christian Pulisic

Source: Mondelēz International / Ritz

If you’re familiar with the US Men’s National Team, you’re familiar with Christian Pulisic. The Pennsylvania-born attacker is one of the most celebrated USMNT stars, currently playing his club football with AC Milan (Italy) and winning the UEFA Champions League while at Chelsea (England) in 2021.

The 2026 World Cup marks the 27-year-old’s second tournament appearance, giving him another opportunity to add to his World Cup record of one goal and one assist. To celebrate Pulisic and the games, Ritz (a Mondelēz International brand) released a limited-edition packaging design along with fun cracker shapes (pictured above). The crackers take the shape of a football and a jersey (often referred to as a kit).

The box shows imagery of Pulisic kicking one of the football-shaped crackers, Pulisic’s signature, and the colors of the USMNT kit. Keeping with the standard Ritz packaging, the limited-edition packaging is a recyclable paperboard box housing a flexible plastic bag within.

The new packaging and crackers launched in April of this year, paired with a sweepstakes offering fans the chance to meet Pulisic and take the field alongside him.

Nick Rogers—Director of Portfolio Marketing and Sponsorship at Mondelēz International—was quoted in Commercial Baking stating:

“National sporting occasions bring people together, and snacking is always at the center of celebration. From our Big Game, March Madness, college football, Inter Miami and Fanatics partnerships, to a summer packed full of soccer, Mondelēz is building a playbook that puts our brands right where fans are watching, cheering, and snacking.”

Read more on the limited-edition packaging and crackers here.

Michelob Ultra x USMNT

Source: Michelob Ultra / Anheuser-Busch

Like snacks, cold beer is synonymous with many World Cup watch parties and football culture worldwide. With this in mind, Michelob Ultra (an Anheuser-Busch brand) released limited-edition primary and secondary packaging inspired by the US team’s kits, collectively dubbed the “US Soccer Jersey Pack” (pictured above).

The jersey pictured below is one of two kits produced by Nike that will be worn by the USMNT this summer. Its white background and wavy red stripes are intended to evoke a US flag waving in the wind. Michelob Ultra carried these same visual elements over to its packaging, including the UMSNT crest.

The Michelob Ultra packaging incorporates the kit’s colorway and waving-flag imagery across both the paperboard carrier and individual aluminum bottles. Based on our team’s analysis, both the primary and secondary packaging should be curbside recyclable in many US communities, though, as always, consumers should check local recycling guidelines and on-pack recycling labels before disposal.

According to Packaging Digest, Michelob Ultra, an official sponsor of the US Men’s National team, debuted the new design in March through a video campaign featuring Pulisic, helping build excitement ahead of the tournament.

Ricardo Marques—SVP of Marketing for Michelob Ultra—was quoted in the same article stating:

“The return of the FIFA World Cup 2026 to the US marks a defining moment for American soccer, and Michelob Ultra is honored to be at the heart of it. We’re celebrating the USMNT, igniting fandom worldwide, and kicking things off with the Jersey Pack as a symbol of pride, passion, and belief.”

This campaign illustrates how limited-edition packaging often serves multiple functions: protecting the product, amplifying brand partnership, and fostering fan engagement and team pride.

Sour Patch Kids x Christian Pulisic

Source: Mondelēz International / Sour Patch Kids

Mondelēz International went big with Pulisic and the US Men’s National Team collaborations this summer, releasing limited-edition packaging and sweepstakes for not only Ritz but also Chips Ahoy!, Sour Patch Kids (pictured above), and other brands.

Similar to the Ritz packaging, the Sour Patch Kids design prominently features Christian Pulisic, placing the USMNT star at the center of the campaign’s visual identity.

The design touts red, white, and blue imagery with the “kids” playing football and holding celebratory scarfs. Like the Ritz packaging, the sweepstakes opportunity is on the upper right side of the box—tapping into the Gutenberg Diagram strategy.

The sweepstakes tied to this limited-edition packaging offers a chance to win a signed Christian Pulisic jersey. More details are available here.

Our team hopes Pulisic and the USMNT have a performance this summer that is less sour and more sweet, especially considering their starting place in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia, and Türkiye.

To read more about the other brands included in Mondelēz’s “Summer of Soccer” campaign, check out this article from Marketing Dive.

Learn More About Packaging Design

Launching limited-edition packaging for a global event is no easy feat—in many ways, it’s a packaging redesign project unto itself.

Maintaining a package’s recognizable identity while incorporating elements from a limited-time partnership requires careful planning, coordination, and execution. Getting it wrong can alienate and confuse consumers (both during and after the limited-edition promotion), leading to negative impacts on sales.

Interested in learning more about designing packaging that drives sales, strengthens brand identity, and communicates your brand’s commitment to sustainability?

Explore our suite of online, self-paced packaging design programs here.

The Packaging School team will be supporting Christian Pulisic and the USMNT this summer as they fight to make a name for themselves on the global football stage.