FIFA will award championship rings to the winners of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, introducing a tradition commonly associated with major American sports.
The announcement comes as the White House confirmed that US President Donald Trump will attend Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The championship rings will be presented to 30 members of the victorious team.
FIFA will also produce 1,996 commemorative rings for fans. Each ring will feature a miniature World Cup trophy and an engraved band.
Winner rings are a long-standing tradition in American sports, particularly in the NFL, where Super Bowl champions receive them after winning the title.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had earlier announced that President Trump would attend the final. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has now confirmed his attendance.
Trump is expected to present the World Cup trophy to the winning team.
The US President did not attend any of the tournament’s 102 matches before the final, including the United States’ campaign, which ended with a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the Round of 16.
Trump’s relationship with FIFA has attracted scrutiny during the tournament.
The controversy centred on reports that the US President contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card shown to United States forward Folarin Balogun.
FIFA later suspended Balogun’s automatic ban, allowing him to feature against Belgium. The decision drew criticism and raised questions about the integrity of the competition.
No other red or yellow card suspension was overturned during the tournament despite appeals from France and England.
The final will be played under an air quality alert caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires affecting the New York and New Jersey region.
However, organisers have not indicated that the match at the open-air MetLife Stadium will be disrupted.
England and France will meet in the third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday before Argentina face Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final.
