FIFA to issue inaugural sleeve badges to World Cup newcomers

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Players making their first appearance at this summer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup will wear special debut patches on their shirts as part of a new collectibles initiative linked to a licensing agreement between FIFA and Fanatics.

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The move means stars such as Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal could receive commemorative debut patches during their first World Cup matches.

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Every player in the Scotland national football team squad is also expected to qualify as a tournament debutant if selected.

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As reported by BBC Sport on Sunday, under the arrangement, the patches worn during a player’s debut match will later be removed from the shirts and transformed into collectible Topps trading cards.

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The initiative follows a wider licensing agreement that will see Fanatics replace Panini as FIFA’s official partner for trading cards and stickers beginning in 2031.

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Although FIFA has yet to release the final design of the World Cup debut patch, the concept mirrors a system already introduced in Major League Soccer in 2024.

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In MLS, teams receive a stock of debut patches that are attached to players’ jerseys before their first appearance.

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After the match, the patch is removed and embedded into a unique trading card before being sent to Topps for distribution in collectible hobby boxes.

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The MLS versions are signed by players, though FIFA has not confirmed whether World Cup debut cards will also feature autographs.

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Because the Fanatics licensing deal officially begins in 2031, the debut cards from the 2026 and 2030 World Cups are not expected to go on sale until after that date.

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The 2026 tournament is projected to generate more than 600 debut cards due to the expanded competition format and the number of returning and first-time nations.

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Among the countries set to make their first-ever World Cup appearances are Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan.

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Several nations are also returning after lengthy absences, including Austria, the Czech Republic, DR Congo, Haiti, Iraq, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Scotland, and Turkey.

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Meanwhile, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Ivory Coast are returning to the tournament for the first time in 12 years and are expected to feature squads filled with World Cup debutants.

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