FIFA awards championship ring to 2026 World Cup winners

For the first time officially, FIFA will present a championship ring to the team that wins the 2026 World Cup, modeled after the rings awarded to NBA title winners. The final will pit Spain against Argentina on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, on the outskirts of New York.

In addition to the trophy and gold medal, thirty personalized rings will be presented to players of the crowned nation. The governing body specified that these pieces are part of a limited edition of 2,026 numbered copies — a figure that directly refers to the year of the tournament. The remaining 1,996 rings will be marketed as an official licensed product for supporters.

The design reserves a share of identity for the winning team. The World Cup trophy will appear on one side of the ring, while the other will be personalized to reflect the colors and identity of the champion. Each piece will be custom-made, numbered, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

This gesture is not entirely unprecedented in football. In 2018, Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann, both enthusiasts of American culture, had given their France teammates a similar ring to celebrate their world title. FIFA is now taking the step at the institutional level, in an edition organized in the United States and Canada, where the codes of North American sport permeate the entire event.