World Cup winners to receive US sports rings, FIFA says | World Cup 2026

Players’ rings will consist of 2,026 parts with each number, and the rest will be auctioned off publicly.

The winners of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina will receive victory rings in addition to the trophy and gold medals, FIFA has confirmed.

The move, which was announced on Friday, is seen as the latest sign of the governing body’s desire to Americanise its top competition.

FIFA said 30 bespoke rings will be awarded to the winning team the final at New York Stadium in New Jerseyand the captain and head coach received temporary translations immediately after the match.

The rings will be customized to reflect the winning team and are placed individually before being handed out at a later date.

One side will have the World Cup trophy, while the other will feature the champions.

The player rings will be part of 2,026 individually numbered units, while the remaining 1,996 will be sold to fans around the world as licensed items.

Championship rings are the oldest tradition in major North American sports, including the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and the NHL, but have never been awarded in a FIFA tournament.

Their debut marks a tournament in which FIFA has shown a willingness to change the look, and sometimes even the style, of soccer in the image of the US game.

Last Sunday it will also feature a halftime entertainment show, a concept more easily associated with the Super Bowl than the World Cup, where the mandatory halftime throughout the tournament has neatly divided the matches into groups.

The three-minute stoppages around the 22nd and 67th minutes have been used despite the fact that the conditions made them more important, with FIFA protecting the principles of player safety amid the heat and humidity of the North American summer.

But the use of a blanket for rest is also to be criticized from players, coaches and fans who argue that it interferes with the game, giving teams extra time and giving coaches the amount of two overtimes.

They have also created half-time windows, although FIFA has rejected suggestions the break was caused by advertising.