Why 'debut patches' could be worn by Yamal, Doue, Pepi and others at the 2026 World Cup

ArgentinaAustraliaBelgiumBrazilCameroonCanadaCosta RicaCroatiaDenmarkEcuadorEnglandFranceGermanyGhanaIranJapanMexicoMoroccoNetherlandsNorthern IrelandPolandPortugalQatarRepublic of IrelandSaudi ArabiaScotlandSenegalSerbiaSouth KoreaSpainSwitzerlandTunisiaUruguayUSMNTUSWNTWalesPodcastsWhy ‘debut patches’ could be worn by Yamal, Doue, Pepi and others at the 2026 World CupChase Adams, of the Columbus Crew, wore a debut patch on his shirt this month Jason Mowry/Getty Images Share articleWhen the World Cup kicks off, keep an eye on the shirts of players like Desire Doue, Lamine Yamal and Ricardo Pepi. If selected for France, Spain and the U.S., all three young stars may take to the field for their first game with a new ‘debut patch’ feature on their match kits. It will have lovers of collectibles dreaming of a rare prize. That is because players making their first appearance at the tournament will wear the unique badge, which will later be authenticated, signed and eventually added to a packet of trading cards. Based on a trend in the National Football League (NFL), ‘debut patches’ will be introduced at the World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico as part of FIFA’s forthcoming licensing deal with Fanatics. The firm will produce cards, stickers and trading cards, having previously launched a similar patches scheme with Major League Soccer in 2024. The long-term agreement, which replaces FIFA’s partnership with Panini, does not begin until 2031 but this month Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin said the patches will still be worn this summer. “For the previous three years (before Fanatics could use the license), the NFL put debut patches on rookies when they played their first game and then they saved those relics until the rights kicked in,” Rubin said. “We do that across every sport. There’s a multi-year cycle when you launch together. We did the NFL, the NBA and MLB and they were all basically five years in advance. So I think this is the right time to announce it and start to build the initiatives.” Fanatics gained future exclusive licensing rights to produce trading cards and sticker books for the men’s and women’s national teams of England, Brazil, Germany and Italy, multiple sources told The Athletic last month. Topps, which is owned by Fantatics, has gained the future rights for the United States national teams, according to a source familiar with the deal who was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter. The company announced this week it had secured the rights for Argentina. This licensing deal is the latest development of deepening ties between Fanatics and FIFA. This year’s Fanatics Fest, the company’s Comic Con for sports fans and collectors, shifted from its typical June timeframe in New York City to coincide with the World Cup final. The event will be held from July 16 to July 19, with the tournament’s final match being played on July 19 in MetLife Stadium. The World Cup final’s pre-match press conferences will take place at the Fest on July 17. In December, FIFA selected Fanatics as the exclusive operator of all 2026 World Cup stadium and fan festival retail locations. “This (collectibles) deal reflects FIFA’s strategy to learn from North America, where the commercialization of sport is really reaching different levels,” president Gianni Infantino said. “I’ve seen that for myself at Formula 1, at NFL, at UFC, at NBA — you name them — and now we can move that into the football arena with Fanatics, who are the leaders in this particular space. “So this deal enhances fan engagement and storytelling by creating deeper emotional connections between fans and players via collectibles, or via, for example, game-used memorabilia and other events.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms