Proposed designs for the three-coin FIFA 2026 World Cup Soccer commemorative coin program and a congressional gold medal recognizing Everett Alvarez Jr., the first American POW captured during the Vietnam War, were recommended July 17 to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent by the Commission of Fine Arts.

The World Cup Soccer tournament is scheduled to be staged at multiple sports venues across the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026.

This is the first time three nations will share hosting responsibilities, and the event will feature 48 teams across 16 cities.

The 11 host sites in the United States are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle, and the final match will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The FIFA World Cup has not been hosted in the United States since 1994.

CFA members were presented with six sets of obverse and reverse designs for the gold $5 coin, silver dollar and copper-nickel clad half dollar, with the reverses in each set illustrating a common design for the set, except for representation of the denominations.

The panel also considered two sets of three designs of reverses only.

The commemorative coin program authorizes the United States Mint to strike and issue, in Proof and Uncirculated finishes combined, up to 100,000 gold $5 coins, 400,000 silver dollars and 750,000 copper-nickel clad half dollars.

The CFA-recommended obverse for the gold $5 coin depicts a soccer ball soaring out of North America, location of the three host countries of FIFA World Cup 2026.

The obverse design recommended by the CFA for the silver dollar illustrates fans in a soccer stadium with a soccer ball above.

The copper-nickel clad half dollar obverse design recommended features a young goalkeeper’s hands as he prepares to block a goal.

The additional inscription is ALL YOU NEED IS A BALL.

The common reverse motif for this design set depicts the official FIFA World Cup 2026 logo, featuring the cup trophy against a stacked 26, with fireworks in the background.

Overall modifications recommended by the CFA include justifying the date on the ball, removing a foam finger, and clarifying the final letter in LIBERTY as a Y, so it is not mistaken as a V.

Alvarez gold medal

After joining the United States Navy and being trained as an aviator, Alvarez joined Attack Squadron 144, nicknamed the “Roadrunners” and deployed to the Gulf of Tonkin prior to the United States’ entrance in the Vietnam War in August 1964.

On Aug. 5, 1964, while flying Operation Pierce Arrow from the USS Constellation near the Vietnam-China border, Alvarez’s A-4 Skyhawk was shot down, and he was captured by a Vietnamese fishing vessel.

A distinguished Naval officer, attorney, author, entrepreneur, and former government executive, Alvarez is best known to the public as the first American aviator shot down over North Vietnam.  He was held in North Vietnam as a prisoner of war (POW) for eight years and six months until the general release of American POWs on Feb. 12, 1973.

The CFA was presented with three proposed obverse designs and three proposed reverses. The obverse the CFA recommended depicts a portrait of Alvarez at right in a flight suit, with fields receding into beach and ocean in the background, fighters in the air and the USS Constellation appearing very small on the distant horizon line.

Inscriptions include COMMANDER EVERETT ALVAREZ, JR. and ACT OF CONGRESS 2023.

Small details in the flight suit will be modified under Alvarez’ direction in the final version of the design.

The CFA-recommended reverse includes a guard tower in the background and the inscription COURAGE, RESILIENCY, FAITH, DUTY, COMMITMENT.

The CFA panel recommended a reduction in the size of the digit 4 to make it less dominant in the design.

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