FIFA introduces special symbolic chevrons for FIFA World Cup 2026 participants
The 2026 World Cup, bringing joy and excitement to millions of fans on pitches across the Americas, will be remembered not only for its intense matches but also for its historic innovations. FIFA has prepared a unique surprise for the players participating in this prestigious tournament. World Cup participants will now wear special commemorative badges—chevrons—on their sleeves, reflecting their status and history.
These symbolic badges not only highlight the players' status in the tournament but also add a unique flair to their kits.
Three types of historic status badges introduced by FIFA
According to the new rules, the international football governing body has developed three categories of symbolic chevrons:
“Debut” chevron: Designed for new names participating in a World Cup for the first time in their careers;
“Heritage” chevron: For legendary veteran players who have established themselves in the football world and have qualified for a World Cup five or more times;
“Golden Glory” chevron: For stars who have been awarded individual honors in previous World Cups, such as Top Scorer, Best Player, or Best Goalkeeper.
What kits will our representatives wear in the historic match?
For our fans, the most joyful news is that all 26 players of the Uzbekistan national team, having qualified for the World Cup for the first time in history, will take the field for their historic opening match against Colombia with the “Debut” chevron on their right sleeves.
According to the rules, players who take the pitch in the first match will not wear this badge in subsequent games. Players remaining on the bench will continue to wear this debutant badge until they make their first official appearance at the World Cup. Interestingly, current global football stars like Spain's Lamine Yamal and Norway's Erling Haaland will also start the tournament with this “Debut” badge.
You can familiarize yourself with the types of newly introduced chevrons and the list of global stars honored to wear them in the analytical table below:
Chevron type and status | Who is it for? | Uzbekistan National Team | Legends wearing two types of chevrons | Other famous stars awarded a chevron |
“Debut” chevron | For first-time participants | All 26 of our players wear in the first match | — | Lamine Yamal (Spain) Erling Haaland (Norway) |
“Heritage” | For those with 5+ appearances | — | Lionel Messi (6th appearance) Luka Modrić (5th appearance) | Manuel Neuer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Yuto Nagatomo |
“Golden Glory” | For individual award winners | — | Separate on each sleeve will have two chevrons | James Rodríguez, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Thibaut Courtois, Emiliano Martínez |
Special privilege for Messi and Modrić: A chevron on each sleeve!
The number of world-class stars honored to wear the “Heritage” and “Golden Glory” badges is very limited. This list includes famous figures such as James Rodríguez, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Thibaut Courtois, Emiliano Martínez, Manuel Neuer, and Japan's Yuto Nagatomo.
However, the most interesting and unique event of this tournament concerns Lionel Messi and Luka Modrić. These two living legends will play on the green pitch wearing two different chevrons simultaneously. Since Argentina captain Messi is participating in his sixth World Cup and Croatia's Modrić in his fifth, and because they have won individual awards as the best player in previous World Cups, they will have separate chevrons on each sleeve. This is a sign of high respect for their great contributions to world football.
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