‘This has gotta be a joke’: Man buys FIFA World Cup Mug at Vancouver airport. Then he washes it

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is here, and with it, a number of collectibles, souvenirs, and goodies. 

As part of celebrating the global tournament, many people are grabbing blankets, jerseys, and of course, mugs. But not all souvenirs offer the same quality, as shown by one man's experience purchasing a legitimate FIFA mug at the Vancouver airport. 

GB (@gblais519) posted a video that has more than 944,000 views on TikTok. In it, he explained that after washing an “Official FIFA World Cup 2026” ceramic mug in the dishwasher, he realized it had “stickers” on it that came off. 

“Whatever you do, do not buy the ‘We Are 26' mug from the FIFA World Cup. This is the Vancouver one, but do not buy it. I spent $33 at the Vancouver Airport buying this,” GB said. “Guess it's only going in the dishwasher once, 'cause the next trip it's making is to the garbage … This has got to be a joke.”

What mug did he purchase?

GB's description closely matches the “Official FIFA World Cup 2026 We Are 26 Mug,” which is available via Mosa. According to Mosa's website, the mug is an “Authenticated product made for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Vancouver moment.” The care instructions include advice to “Hand wash only with cold water.” Additionally, the instructions warn against washing the mug in the dishwasher. 

“Do not place in the dishwasher as this will damage the printed design and finish over time. Dry immediately with a soft cloth,” the website says.

Mosa, a retailer that sells the mug, says it “holds the official Host City license for British Columbia, covering glassware and candles. Every unit is authenticated and bears the official FIFA licensing mark. This is not an unofficial, grey-market, or replica product.”

Based on GB's video, the product does appear to have a legitimate FIFA licensing mark and other official packaging. 

What did viewers say?

Viewers who watched GB's video seemed shocked that a retailer would sell a mug with stickers on it. Some commenters, for instance, pointed out that for how much GB spent, the mug should've used a better printing method such as sublimation. 

“People. You're missing the point. Even if it says handwash only, it is STICKERS,” one viewer said. “They're going to eventually start coming off even if you just handwash. For a $33 mug, you'd expect it to be high quality, not [expletive] STICKERS.” 

“Ive accidentally washed the sales sticker and it's lasted better than this,” another person added. 

Then a third said, “Thanks for de-influencing me … Was I going to buy it… probably not, but now I'm REALLY not going to buy it even if I see it on sale!”

@gblais519 You can't be serious @FIFA … #FIFA #worldcup2026 #WorldCup #FIFAFail #Vancouver ♬ original sound – GB

What other products are customers not happy with? 

Many consumers aren't necessarily happy with the FIFA products they're receiving. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), reports have already come in regarding fake or counterfeit FIFA products. 

KSAT interviewed Better Business Bureau Heart of Texas Senior Director of Communications Jason Meza, who told the publication, “A lot of stock photos end up on storefronts, and then you get the item and it's totally not what it was presented as.”

While this doesn't appear to be the case in GB's experience, “poor-quality packaging, misspellings, grammatical errors” are telltale signs of a counterfeit product, according to the publication. And many people are reportedly getting products — regardless of authentication — that may not hold up to their expectations. 

“Fifa mug is really just a symptom of a much larger more serious problem,” one viewer said. 

Buzz News reached out to GB via TikTok direct message and FIFA via contact form for more information.