Doha: The 2026 FIFA World Cup has introduced a new way of recognising individual achievements, with selected players sporting special commemorative patches on their jerseys for the first time in the tournament's history.
FIFA has added a unique badge beneath the official World Cup patch on the right sleeve. The patches are not available to all players and are instead reserved for World Cup debutants and winners of major individual honours.
Players making their World Cup debut wear the commemorative badges, highlighting the significance of reaching football's biggest stage. Several young stars making their first World Cup appearance, including Erling Haaland, Lamine Yamal, Florian Wirtz and Endrick to wear the badge as debutants.
Unique patches are also awarded to recipients of the World Cup Golden Boot and Golden Glove awards. Current and former stars Golden Boot winners Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and James Rodriguez, along with Golden Glove recipients Emiliano Martinez and Thibaut Courtois, are also eligible for the honour.
FIFA also introduced the FIFA Legacy Badge, a gold sleeve patch awarded exclusively to active players who have appeared in five or more World Cups. The badge, featuring the player’s name, national flag and a golden silhouette, recognises exceptional longevity at football’s highest level. It is worn by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in their record-equalling sixth appearances, alongside other five-time veterans including Luka Modrić, Manuel Neuer and Guillermo Ochoa, marking them as part of an elite group
FIFA also introduced an updated sleeve patch system for the tournament.
The seven former world champions wear exclusive gold-themed patches on their right sleeves, while the remaining nations use the standard black-and-white design. The left sleeve patch also changes throughout the competition, featuring different designs for each group-stage matchday and every knockout round from the round of 32 to the final.
