FIFA to Introduce World Cup Debut Patches in Deal with Fanatics

Players making their first appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will wear special debut patches on their shirts as part of a new collectables initiative linked to a licensing agreement between FIFA and Fanatics. This means stars such as Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal could receive commemorative debut patches during their first World Cup matches. 

According to BBC Sport, under the arrangement, the patches worn during a player’s debut match will later be removed from the shirts and transformed into collectable Topps trading cards, following a wider licensing agreement that will see Fanatics replace Panini as FIFA’s official partner for trading cards and stickers beginning in 2031. 

The concept mirrors a system already introduced in Major League Soccer in 2024, where teams receive a stock of debut patches attached to players’ jerseys before their first appearance, with the patch later embedded into a unique trading card. 

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Among the countries set to make their first-ever World Cup appearances are Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan, while several nations, including Austria, Norway, Scotland, and Turkey, are returning after lengthy absences, with the 2026 tournament projected to generate more than 600 debut cards due to the expanded competition format.