Bonkers World Cup moments captured on beer mats

Weird World Cup celebrates some of the stranger moments of tournaments gone by with beer mats illustrated by designers including Craig Oldham, Sarah Boris and Studio Hey

“We thought it would be funny to commission these really well known and highly respected designers to create a piece of work that punters in pubs would literally be resting their beers on while watching World Cup games around London,” says Gordon Reid, who set up Weird World Cup together with fellow designer Callum Stephenson.

“Most creatives have designed posters or prints in their time … I don’t think I’ve seen another designer get stuck into a beer mat.”

Studio Hey
Biff
Bratislav Milenjovic

The series remembers some “fantastically weird” moments – everything from Diana Ross missing a penalty kick, to Laurent Blanc kissing Fabien Barthez’s bald head and a sweary Roy Keane walking his dog after being kicked out of the Ireland squad. Hey Studio has paid homage to the vuvuzela, the much-hated plastic horn that dominated the 2010 World Cup.

Reid and Stephenson drew on retro World Cup logos and art direction to create the Weird World Cup logo, hoping to provoke some sporting nostalgia with its 70s Frankfurter typeface and use of primary colours.

Mason London
Bratislav Milenjovic and Brand Nu
Ben Tallon

Weird World Cup features 20 beer mats in total, which will be ‘exhibited’ around London, as well as sold online. All the money made from the mats will be donated to charity Football Beyond Borders, to help the organisation fund a new office and learning hub in south London.

weirdworldcup.com; middleboop.com; callumstephenson.com