The 2026 FIFA World Cup is tearing across North America. And the physical history of the tournament just landed in Southern California. Dutch memorabilia company MatchWornShirt opened a live exhibition at the newly minted U.S. Soccer House in Venice. Fans are pouring into the 57 Windward Ave location to view legendary game-worn jerseys up close, according to a Forbes report by Clemente Lisi. The global tournament is completely dominating the sporting world right now.
Key Details
- Location: U.S. Soccer House, 57 Windward Ave, Venice, CA.
- Operating Dates: June 11 through June 26, 2026.
- Curation: Exhibition run by Dutch memorabilia company MatchWornShirt (MWS).
Founders Tijmen and Bob Zonderwijk take an aggressive preservation approach. They flat out refuse to wash the shirts. Instead, the company uses a specialized germicidal lamp to kill bacteria. But they intentionally lock in the player’s physical traces. The pitch dirt, the sweat, and the DNA stay stitched into the fabric.
The MWS archives contain remnants of serious international football grudges. The Venice display highlights artifacts like Cristiano Ronaldo’s jersey from the 2006 “Battle of Nuremberg”—the match that still holds the record for the most red cards in international tournament history. They also secured Chris Waddle’s 1986 England shirt from the infamous quarter-final defined by the Diego Maradona “Hand of God” incident.
The company is also pushing a technical shift in the market during this North American expansion. MatchWornShirt recently secured a multi-year digital licensing agreement with Major League Soccer and the MLSPA. They are equipping MLS kits with Fabricks™ NFC technology. These digital chips instantly certify a shirt’s authenticity directly off the pitch.