Zara has launched a collection dedicated to four World Cups: Spain 1982, Mexico 1986, USA 1994, and France 1998. The release is timed in the lead-up to the World Cup that will be held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada, which has boosted the sale of products related to both the upcoming event and historical tournaments.
Among the items, a standout is a yellow cotton t-shirt with the print “FIFA WORLD CUP 1986”, a round neck, and short sleeves, priced at 349 Mexican pesos, available online and in physical stores.
What are the errors on the Mexico 1986 t-shirt?
The design dedicated to Mexico '86, which includes graphic elements like the mascot Piqué, contains two historical inconsistencies.
The first error appears on the garment's print, which reads: “Final Match – Azteca Stadium, Mexico City, June 21, 1970”. This date corresponds precisely to Mexico 1970. The t-shirt is not available for purchase on the Zara website.
World Cup 2026: Engines are already heating up ahead of the World Cup kick-off at the Azteca
The launch of this collection coincides with the anticipation for the upcoming World Cup, which will begin on June 11, 2026, at the 'Colossus of Santa Úrsula', which will be called Mexico City Stadium for this World Cup. The opening match will be between Mexico and South Africa, as part of the group stage in which the Mexican team will also face South Korea and the Czech Republic, the latter of which qualified through the World Cup 2026 playoffs.
This capital venue will make history by becoming the first stadium to host three World Cup openings (1970, 1986, and 2026). This FIFA World Cup will be the largest in the world, as the number of teams was expanded from 32 to 48, and the number of games will also be unprecedented: a total of 104 matches will be played as part of the tournament.
The t-shirt identifies the 1986 World Cup as the ninth (IX), when it was actually the thirteenth edition of the competition. The date corresponds to the final of Mexico 1970, not 1986. According to FIFA records, the final of the 1970 World Cup was played on June 21 at the Azteca Stadium, where Brazil defeated Italy 4-1 with 'King' Pelé on the pitch. In contrast, the final of the 1986 World Cup was played on June 29, 1986, when Argentina was crowned champion with Diego Armando Maradona on the field.
The second error is in the tournament's numbering.
The clothing brand Zara — of Amancio Ortega — put on sale a retro World Cup collection for the 2026 World Cup, but one of its pieces immediately drew criticism: the t-shirt dedicated to Mexico 1986 contains incorrect historical data by mixing references with the football festival of 1970. The brand, which dressed Bad Bunny at Super Bowl LX, presented a commemorative line inspired by various editions of the tournament organized by FIFA.
