▲ South Korea's Oh Hyeon-gyu (center), wearing his debut patch, celebrates with Kim Min-jae after scoring the team's second goal against the Czech Republic.
Players competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America are wearing an official emblem patch on their right sleeve, which combines the World Cup trophy with the number '26'.
There are several secrets hidden within this small patch.
Each national team is required to use only white or black patches to match the color of their uniforms.
There are exceptions, however.
Some teams with a history of winning the World Cup are permitted to wear special gold-colored patches.
It is a gesture of honor.
Defending champion Argentina, along with Uruguay, Germany, Brazil, England, France, and Spain, are wearing gold patches in this tournament.
Some players are also allowed to attach another special patch below the World Cup emblem patch.
Players making their debut in the World Cup finals can wear a 'Debut Patch,' while those who have appeared in five or more tournaments are eligible to wear a 'Legacy Patch.'
Additionally, players who have previously won the Golden Boot—the top scorer award—can wear a 'Golden Boot Winner Patch,' and those who have won the Golden Glove, the award for the best goalkeeper, can wear a 'Golden Glove Winner Patch.'
Oh Hyeon-gyu (Beşiktaş) wore his debut patch during the Group A opening match against the Czech Republic, held at Guadalajara Stadium in Jalisco, Mexico, on June 12, where he scored the winning goal.
Argentina's ace Lionel Messi wore a Legacy Patch, while France's Kylian Mbappé wore a Golden Boot Winner Patch during their respective opening matches of the tournament.
German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who is eligible for both the Legacy Patch and the Golden Glove Patch, wore the Legacy Patch during his team's first Group E match against Curaçao on June 15.
FIFA introduced these special patches as part of its revenue generation and marketing strategy.
After the matches, the patches are removed from the uniforms, autographed by the players, and will be inserted into trading cards produced by the sports card company Topps.
FIFA signed an official trading card and licensing agreement with Topps in May and plans to sell the related cards after 2030, when its contract with the existing provider expires.
Cards featuring patches worn by players in this World Cup are scheduled to be sold as special editions starting in 2031.
Topps has already signed contracts with Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Basketball Association (NBA) to sell cards featuring such patches.
The value of these cards varies depending on the player's recognition, the significance of the match, and the rarity of the item.
A card featuring an autographed debut patch from Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who won the Cy Young Award last year, sold for $1.11 million (approximately 1.68 billion KRW) at an auction last March.
Experts predict that patch cards of players like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), for whom the 2026 North and Central America World Cup is likely their final appearance, could reach astronomical values in the future.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.