
<p>The supporter members of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/atletico-madrid-tv-schedule/">Atlético Madrid</a> will choose which badge the club uses moving forward. <a href="https://en.atleticodemadrid.com/noticias/binding-vote-on-the-club-badge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A binding vote</a>, set to conclude on June 30, will determine if the club keeps the current logo, or reverts to the previous one.</p>



<p>The badge of Atlético Madrid has it’s origins in 1917. Prior to that, the club simply used the logo of Athletic Club Bilbao, who were the inspiration of the Madrid side. The first appearance of the current crest form featured everything we know today. The bear and strawberry tree from the city coat of arms, the seven white stars, and red and white stripes. Except for a brief period in the late 1930s / early 1940s, all of this symbolism has remained. </p>



<p>The choices are between the modernized badge used from 2017 to the present, and a version that went essentially unchanged for nearly 50 years from 1970-2017.</p>



<h4>What’s the big deal? They look almost the same!</h4>



<p>While the differences between the two choices may seem subtle at first glance, it’s still a huge decision. After all, the crest is at the heart of a club’s identity. It sits over the heart of the players, and lives in the hearts and minds of the supporters and community. Even a small change can cause an outcry from fans.</p>



<p>In 2017, the club updated and modernized the classic badge. The bear and tree elements were simplified, and the number of colors and stripes were reduced. The top of the shield was also rounded. From a purely technical standpoint, this was a big improvement. But it lacks some of the charm of the original.</p>



<h5>Watch Atlético Madrid on ESPN+</h5>



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<p>But charm only goes so far. While there is something often wonderful about retro logos that have that homespun, hand drawn feel, that’s not the case with the old Atlético mark. The bear and tree, specifically, have a “Microsoft Paint” feel to them, despite originating nearly 100 years before such technology existed. Bafflingly, the actual <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Madrid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Madrid coat of arms</a> was changed in 1982, more closely matching the incredibly simple Atlético version as opposed to the previous more realistic take.</p>



<h4>Option C: What they <em>should</em> do</h4>



<p>There’s a happy medium between the two variations that is sadly missing as a choice in the vote.</p>



<p>The cleaned up and streamlined symbols of the 2017 version were an improvement, but the loss of color and rounded shield were downgrades.</p>



<p>So, why not combine the two? </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1280" height="715" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20230629_WST_440293_AtletiBadge_2.webp&amp;width=1280&amp;height=715" alt="Altético Madrid badge concept" class="wp-image-440315" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/06/AtletiBadge_2.jpg 1280w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/06/AtletiBadge_2-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/06/AtletiBadge_2-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/06/AtletiBadge_2-768x429.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px"></figure></div></figure>



<p>Sadly, that’s not an option (…but feel free to drop me a line if interested, Atlético Madrid people).<br><br>So how will the vote shake out?<br><br>If I had to guess, the historic version will win and be re-adopted. Technical flaws or not, the old badge no doubt holds a special place in the hearts of the Atléti members who will be making the call. And at the end of the day, their opinion is the only one that really matters. </p>



<p>Many soccer fans around the probably didn’t even notice the change in 2017. And they likely might overlook it again if the logo reverts back. But it’s a fun event for soccer branding aficionados like myself. And the club giving the decision to their supporters should be applauded.</p>


The Atlético Madrid badge design could be changing back to it's historic roots, with a member vote deciding the outcome.

Atlético Madrid badge up for vote; Fans get to decide on winner - World Soccer Talk

Atlético Madrid badge up for vote; Fans get to decide on winner


<p>The <a href="http://worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-20…">2026 World Cup</a> logo has been revealed by FIFA, and it’s certainly something. The tournament, set to be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada in the summer of 2026 will be the largest ever, and the first to feature an expanded 48-team field.</p>



<p>Wednesday night, the tournament branding was unveiled by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Brazilian legend Ronaldo at an event in Los Angeles. The logo was presented alongside the launch of the “WE ARE 26” campaign and slogan.  </p>



<p>As for the logo itself, the main emblem is wildly simple. A stylized “26”and the FIFA wordmark in black and white, overlaid with a photo of the World Cup trophy. That’s it. No colors. No mention of the host names (every other World Cup emblem to date has noted the host[s]).</p>



<h4>A closer look</h4>



<p>The official style guide includes fonts and some interesting and more colorful visual assets:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1280" height="715" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20230518_WST_433382_26_WC_StyleGuide.webp&amp;width=1280&amp;height=715" alt="World Cup 2026 logo" class="wp-image-433386" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/26_WC_StyleGuide.jpg 1280w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/26_WC_StyleGuide-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/26_WC_StyleGuide-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/26_WC_StyleGuide-768x429.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px"></figure></div></figure>



<p>But the logo itself remains incredibly uninspiring. The lack of any visual reference to the three hosts, or North America as a whole, is disappointing. The diversity and beauty of the peoples and natural landscape in our three nations is amazing. But I guess a funky monochrome ’26’ will have to do.<br><br>These days, more marketing content is digital as opposed to printed media. But when I was learning the art of graphic design (not that long ago, mind you), a cardinal rule of logo design was do not, under any circumstances, put a <em>photograph</em> in a logo. It’s difficult to reproduce at large and small scales, and it does not work well with mixed media such as embroidery or screen printing. The merchandise production guys can’t be happy with this one.<br><br>Prior to 2002, only one World Cup logo featured the trophy – England 1966, which had an image of the now-missing original <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup_Trophy#Jules_Rimet_Trophy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jules Rimet Trophy</a>. From 2002-2010, a stylized icon of the current trophy was included in the official World Cup logos. Since Brazil 2014, the main World Cup emblem has been a creative interpretation of the trophy. But now it’s literally just a picture of it.<br><br>Troublingly, FIFA seems to be proud of this. In the press release, they note “For the first time in history, an image of the actual trophy and the tournament hosting year is being depicted, forming an innovative design language that anchors the FIFA World Cup emblem for 2026 and beyond.” Even more troubling is the last two words in the above statement, “<em>…and beyond.</em>” Is FIFA going the route of the Super Bowl, with a photorealistic rendering of the trophy as a consistent element/template for each event?</p>


<div class="wp_fsn_poll" id="647747104253f8fd1358dc4f" data-title="What do you think of the World Cup 2026 Logo? " data-options="3"></div>


<h4>Room to improve?</h4>



<p>While the main logo is rather plain, the official release left open the possibility of a flexible brand package that is customizable. Each of the 16 host cities have their own unique version of the logo, to be revealed throughout the day on May 18. Official materials note the ’26’ shape as a “vessel for self-expression”. Cool, right?<br><br>Well, apparently, no. At least not yet, anyway. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1280" height="715" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20230518_WST_433382_26_WC_Cities.webp&amp;width=1280&amp;height=715" alt="" class="wp-image-433388" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/26_WC_Cities.jpg 1280w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/26_WC_Cities-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/26_WC_Cities-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/26_WC_Cities-768x429.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px"></figure></div></figure>



<p>Most host city versions that have trickled out so far appear to be nothing more than colorized versions with the city name underneath. Better than the black &amp; white version? Sure. But still less than inspiring, and with little connection to those cities.<br><br>Of course, we’re still three years away from the tournament. So I’d expect additional, more complex and interesting, versions of each city logo to roll out as we get closer to the event. But there’s something else about this design…</p>



<h4>Where have we seen this before?</h4>



<p>If a relatively simple logo with interchangeable elements, resulting in many official variations, for a major sporting event in the United States seems familiar to you, you’re not going crazy. </p>



<p>The official branding for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games features a very similar concept. ‘LA28’ in bold, black letters, with the ‘A’ interchangeable. Artists, athletes, celebrities and others have created various ‘A’ elements to showcase the diversity and creativity of LA:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1280" height="715" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20230518_WST_433382_26_WC_Olympics.webp&amp;width=1280&amp;height=715" alt="2028 Olympics Logos" class="wp-image-433394" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/26_WC_Olympics.jpg 1280w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/26_WC_Olympics-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/26_WC_Olympics-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/26_WC_Olympics-768x429.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px"></figure></div></figure>



<p>In the words of noted art collector Ongo Gablogian, “<a href="https://youtu.be/kjS6bQ5OQ-o?t=22" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Derivative.</a>“</p>



<p>At the end of the day, the competition itself is the most important thing. We know Canada, Mexico and the US are automatically qualified. With 45 more spots still up for grabs, we can assume most of the world’s big teams will be there. Those teams will write new chapters in the history of the game. And the memories they make will be stamped with this visual identity.<br><br>We’ve now truly entered the build up to the World Cup returning to North America. And this branding reveal, as well as <a href="https://twitter.com/thegaffer/status/1659034816191365122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the unveiling itself</a>, are a bummer to kick things off.</p>


FIFA has unveiled the 2026 World Cup logo, and it's definitely a departure from the emblems for the tournament we've seen in the past.

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Atlético Madrid badge up for vote; Fans get to decide on winner

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2026 World Cup logo is uninspiring and overly simplistic