World Cup debut patches worn by Haaland and Yamal will become Topps trading cards from 2031

Players making their World Cup debut at the 2026 finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico will wear a small commemorative ‘debut’ patch on the upper-right chest of their jersey — and once the match is over, that patch will be turned into a Topps trading card.

The initiative is part of a new agreement that sees Fanatics replace Panini as FIFA’s official trading partner for cards and stickers from 2031. The patch-to-card concept is already established in American sports, most notably in MLS, where physical shirt patches are embedded into trading card products and sold to collectors.

Among those set to wear the debut patch at the 2026 tournament are Norway striker Erling Haaland and Spain forward Lamine Yamal, two of the competition’s most high-profile first-timers. Nations making their World Cup bow entirely — including Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan — will also contribute debut patches across their squads.

In MLS, patch cards of this type are distributed inside Chrome MLS hobby boxes, which retail for around $120 (£88) in the United States and contain 21 packs of four cards, two of which are patch cards autographed by the relevant player. Whether the World Cup version will carry player autographs has not been confirmed.

Collectors hoping to acquire a patch card from the 2026 finals will need to be patient. Because the Fanatics deal does not begin until 2031, cards from this summer’s tournament will not reach the market for at least five years. The same arrangement will apply to the 2030 World Cup, co-hosted by Portugal, Morocco and Spain, with opening matches held in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to mark the centenary of the first edition of the tournament.

The delayed release window means that patch cards from 2026 could appreciate significantly in value, particularly if the players involved go on to cement their status as global stars over the intervening years.

The 2026 World Cup opens on Thursday, 11 June with Mexico facing South Africa in Mexico City. The final is scheduled for Sunday, 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.