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Mexico City Exhibition Celebrates Football's Design Legacy Across 11 World Cups

From Pelé's boots to pink goalposts of women's football, this immersive show traces how design shaped the beautiful game. A must-see for fans and history buffs alike.

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2 min read
The image shows a woman in a pink shirt and shorts holding a soccer ball, standing in the center of...
The image shows a woman in a pink shirt and shorts holding a soccer ball, standing in the center of the frame with two other women sitting on either side of her. In the background, there are chairs and a wall, suggesting that the scene is taking place in a stadium.

Mexico City Exhibition Celebrates Football's Design Legacy Across 11 World Cups

Pink Goalposts and a Single Uniform Option: The 1971 European Independent Women's Football Federation Tournament in Mexico

Pink goalposts and just one uniform choice were the conditions under which the second tournament of the European Independent Women's Football Federation was held in Mexico in 1971. Six teams from Latin America—including the host nation—took part, with a young woman named Xóchitl serving as the event's mascot. Posters, uniforms, and other memorabilia from the tournament are now part of Football: Designing a Passion, an exhibition opening today at the Franz Mayer Museum.

The show, featuring over 309 objects from 11 FIFA World Cups—from the inaugural 1930 tournament in Uruguay to this year's edition in Mexico, Canada, and the United States—explores how design can tell the story of the sport while also reflecting the evolution of society.

On display are boots worn by Pelé and Cristiano Ronaldo, but the exhibition also highlights a striking fact: until just a decade ago, football cleats were designed exclusively for men—women's boots only entered the market around 10 years ago.

"Everything we see on the pitch was designed, considered, and intentionally created," noted Giovana Jaspersen, the museum's director. Visitors will encounter a range of artifacts, from the recently removed seats of the former Estadio Azteca—now under renovation and renamed Estadio Banorte—to collectible pins, buttons, and stamps.

The exhibition includes balls from the 1950 World Cup, one even signed by legendary goalkeeper Antonio "La Tota" Carbajal, as well as the iconic black-and-white Telstar model, first used in the 1970 Mexico World Cup and the first to feature a truncated icosahedron design.

Architecture plays a key role in the exhibition, with models of legendary stadiums, including the Maracanã. Graphic design is showcased through World Cup posters, from Annie Leibovitz's work for Mexico 1986 to the Swiss-influenced designs of Brazil 1950.

"Design is everywhere. You'll see a history of the world," said Nicolás Valencia, author of the exhibition catalog.

Open to the public, the exhibition is part of Host City Mexico City's cultural program, organized in conjunction with the FIFA World Cup. Other participating museums include Jumex, Tamayo, Palacio de Iturbide, and the highly anticipated reopening of the Dolores Olmedo Museum.

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