Players making their first appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will wear special debut patches on their jerseys in a groundbreaking initiative aimed at creating unique football collectables for fans around the world.

The innovation, introduced as part of a new licensing agreement between FIFA and sports merchandise giant Fanatics, will see the commemorative patches removed after each player’s World Cup debut and transformed into collectable trading cards by Topps.

The initiative means several global stars, including Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal, are expected to receive debut patches when they make their first appearances at football’s biggest tournament this summer.

According to reports, every member of the Scotland squad will also qualify for the commemorative badge as the country returns to the World Cup after a lengthy absence.

The design of the debut patch has yet to be unveiled, but the concept mirrors a system already used in American sports and recently introduced into Major League Soccer in 2024.

Under the proposed arrangement, each participating team will receive a stock of debut patches, which will be attached to the upper-right chest area of a player’s shirt before his first World Cup match.

Once the game is completed, the patch will be removed and embedded into a one-of-a-kind trading card that will later be distributed randomly in collectable hobby boxes produced by Topps.

Although FIFA has not confirmed whether players will autograph the cards, the MLS version of the programme includes signed editions that have become highly sought-after among collectors.

The Fanatics licensing agreement with FIFA officially begins in 2031, meaning the debut cards from both the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cups will only become commercially available after that date.

The 2026 tournament is expected to generate more than 600 debut cards, especially with several nations preparing for their maiden World Cup appearances.

Among the debutant countries are Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.

Several nations are also returning to the tournament after long absences, including Scotland, Norway, Paraguay, Turkey and New Zealand.

African representatives Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire, alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, are also returning to the World Cup for the first time in 12 years and are expected to have squads filled with tournament debutants.

The initiative is expected to add a fresh commercial and historical dimension to the FIFA World Cup, turning players’ first moments on football’s grandest stage into permanent memorabilia for future generations.

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By Kunle Solaja

After an abrupt end to his latest spell with the Black Stars, former Ghana coach Otto Addo has quickly resurfaced on the global football stage following his appointment to FIFA’s elite Technical Study Group for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Addo, whose tenure with Ghana ended in March 2026 amid growing criticism and disappointing results, has now been handed a prestigious analytical and developmental role by FIFA ahead of football’s biggest tournament.

In what many observers see as a remarkable rebound, the former Borussia Dortmund assistant coach will join a star-studded panel of football experts responsible for dissecting all 104 matches of the expanded FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Technical Study Group, assembled under the guidance of former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, includes respected football figures such as Jürgen Klinsmann, Gilberto Silva, Tobin Heath and Pablo Zabaleta.

For Addo, the appointment offers a fresh chapter after a turbulent period with Ghana’s national team. Although his second stint with the Black Stars failed to meet expectations, FIFA’s decision to include him among the game’s leading technical minds suggests his tactical insight and football knowledge remain highly regarded internationally.

The Technical Study Group will be led by former Switzerland goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler and will provide advanced tactical and performance analysis throughout the tournament using live data, multiple video angles and enhanced football intelligence tools.

FIFA said the group would help identify modern trends in football while offering deeper insights to broadcasters, coaches, players and fans.

“The Technical Study Group helps identify trends in the game, prepare future generations for football’s development and contribute to making the sport more exciting,” Wenger explained in FIFA’s statement unveiling the panel.

For the first time in World Cup history, fans will also receive real-time technical insights from the experts through the FIFA Training Centre’s social media platforms and YouTube channel.

Addo, who earned 15 caps for Ghana as a player and guided the Black Stars at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, now returns to the global stage in a different capacity — not on the touchline, but in the tactical brain trust shaping the understanding of the modern game.

His appointment could also be viewed as a personal redemption story, with the coach finding renewed relevance at the highest level of world football despite his difficult exit from the Ghana job.

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The United States will stage a star-studded and entertainment-driven opening ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles on Friday, 12 June, as football’s biggest tournament officially takes centre stage across North America.

FIFA announced that the ceremony at Los Angeles Stadium will feature some of the world’s biggest music stars, including Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla, with more international performers expected to be announced in the coming months.

The ceremony, scheduled to begin 90 minutes before kick-off, is expected to deliver a high-energy showcase reflecting the diversity, entertainment culture and global influence of the United States, particularly the creative spirit of Los Angeles, widely regarded as the entertainment capital of the world.

According to FIFA, the Los Angeles spectacle will form part of an unprecedented trilogy of opening ceremonies spread across the three co-host nations:  Mexico, Canada and the United States — creating what organisers described as one continental celebration united by “a shared heartbeat.”

Produced in partnership with Balich Wonder Studio, the ceremony will combine large-scale visuals, immersive storytelling and live performances centred around the iconic FIFA World Cup Trophy and the cultural identity of the United States.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the Los Angeles ceremony would underline the scale and global reach of the expanded tournament.

“This opening ceremony in Los Angeles represents the extraordinary scale of what the FIFA World Cup 2026 will become,” Infantino said.

“The lineup of artists reflects the cultural diversity of the United States and the vibrancy of its many diasporas, highlighting the nation’s rich influence on music, entertainment and pop culture.”

Fans attending the event have been encouraged to arrive early, with stadium gates opening four hours before kick-off to allow supporters to participate in activations, entertainment experiences, live pre-match programmes and interactive fan activities.

The ceremony will precede the United States’ opening match against Paraguay in what promises to be one of the biggest sporting and entertainment events of the year.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams and 104 matches, will be played across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States, beginning in Mexico City on 11 June before concluding with the final at New York-New Jersey Stadium on 19 July.

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