Watch McDonald’s FIFA World Cup meal unboxing on USA TODAY
McDonald’s has partnered with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Squishmallows to bring fans new collectible items to celebrate soccer.
America is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, and McDonald’s is celebrating its 500th anniversary by bringing back a fan-favorite dessert.
The fast food chain confirmed to USA TODAY that its fried apple pie will return to select restaurants nationwide for a limited time starting June 23. The pie will be available all day and features McDonald’s signature filling made with 100% American-grown apples, the company said.
Fried apple pie first appeared at McDonald’s in East Tennessee in the 1960s, when owner and operator Lytton Cochran began selling it at his restaurants. According to McDonald’s, it became a local fan favorite and eventually became a staple on the chain’s dessert menu.
McDonald’s celebrates return of fried apple pie at new Route 66 landmark
In addition to bringing fried apple pie back to its restaurants, McDonald’s is celebrating by building a 35-foot-tall apple pie monument along Route 66.
“Just steps from America’s most iconic road, a 35-foot-tall fried apple pie will rise from the roadside in honor of our fans’ love for this classic American dessert,” McDonald’s said in a news release. The monument will debut in the Chicago suburbs at a kickoff event on June 23.
The memorial will be located at 920 N. Broadway in St. Joliet, Illinois, and will remain in place until July 4, the chain said.
Gabe Hauari is USA TODAY’s national trends news reporter. You can follow him at X @gabehauari Or email Gdhauari@usatodayco.com.
