Earlier this month, LEGO revealed several new sets based bringing the world of football/soccer to bricks. Now we here in South Africa have local details so we know how much to set aside.
The two biggest sets from this upcoming range are focused on two titans of the game: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Both are featured in large sets entitled “Soccer Legend” and consist of substantial, brick-built versions of the real world players.
Each Soccer Legend set also comes with a stand for the player, a backdrop and the player’s signature on a plaque.
The Cristiano Ronaldo set has 854 pieces, while the Lionel Messi one has 958. Despite this difference in the number of pieces, both sets cost the same in South Africa by demanding R1 599. You can click the name of each player to be taken to a pre-order page for the sets, which are set to launch in May.
Images of both sets can be found in the gallery below. Since being revealed they have been the source of much discussion. Capturing the human form in LEGO has never been easy, which is why the stylised LEGO minifigure is the de facto way that the company has been representing characters for many decades.
These larger, buildable characters certainly look a bit off, but we think they’re both decent attempts. They’re also immediately recognisable from afar thanks to the chosen colours and the backdrops, which are both giveaways even from across the room.
If these two sets aren’t dong it for you, or they’re simply outside of what you want to spend, there are more options for you coming in May.
Ronaldo and Messi get smaller sets called “Soccer Highlights”, where the player is represented as an aforementioned minifigure. These are built into a small diorama which also features some nods to the players’ home country. Kylian Mbappé and Vini Jr. join in with their own Soccer Highlights sets.
Finally, there’s an emblem of the FIFA World Cup trophy and U.S. Soccer National Team Jersey display set to round things off. Links to all these sets can be found below along with their local pricing and then a gallery so you can check each one out.
Before that, however, we have to mention that set is notably missing from these South African pre-orders. 43018: Lionel Messi – Celebration is a rather large display piece featuring the back of the player against a dynamic backdrop. This mostly-flat build is intended to be a piece of wall art made with 1 427 pieces, but it has not been listed for local release.
But for the upcoming sets which are slated for South Africa, here are the details:
- 43012: Cristiano Ronaldo – Soccer Highlights | 490 pieces | R559 | [Pre-order page],
- 43011: Lionel Messi – Soccer Highlights | 500 pieces | R559 | [Pre-order page],
- 43013: Kylian Mbappé – Soccer Highlights | 490 pieces | R559 | [Pre-order page],
- 43027: Vini Jr. – Soccer Highlights | 510 pieces | R559 | [Pre-order page],
- 43032: FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Emblem | 298 pieces | R469 | [Pre-order page],
- 43033: 2026 U.S. Soccer National Team Jersey | 167 pieces | R469 | [Pre-order page].
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