World Cup winners to be presented with championship rings in tournament first

The winners of the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina will be presented with championship rings for the first time in the tournament’s 96-year history.

In addition to the trophy and winner’s medals, 30 “bespoke” rings will be given to Sunday’s champions in what governing body FIFA described as “bringing one of the most recognisable American sporting traditions to the global game”.

Championship rings have long been a feature of North American sport, with the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series ring, National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl ring, National Basketball Association’s (NBA) championship ring and National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup ring among the most famous and expensive.

A FIFA press release stated that one side of the ring features a World Cup trophy, while the other side will have a custom design to reflect the winning team.

Following Sunday’s final, the head coach and captain of either Spain or Argentina will receive a temporary replica ring, before the 30 rings will be customised and presented to the champions at an unspecified later date.

World football’s governing body described the rings as “the perfect lifelong fit for an achievement that will echo through eternity”.

A further 1,996 rings will go on sale to fans.

It marks the latest introduction of a North American sporting tradition to football and the World Cup. Sunday’s final will feature a half-time show on the field at the MetLife Stadium. FIFA has previously said the performance will be 11 minutes long and The Athletic reported the governing body is targeting half time to last no longer than 20 minutes. It is highly unusual for the 15-minute break to be extended.

Mid-game adverts have also become part of the viewing experience in the U.S., with broadcaster Fox using the three-minute hydration breaks in each half for commercials.

U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the 2026 World Cup final, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed at a briefing on Thursday. Trump is also expected to present the trophy. The attendance of heads of state and their prominence during the trophy ceremony is customary at the showpiece event.

Argentina, the defending world champions, beat England in the semi-finals to reach Sunday’s final. European champions Spain, who last won the competition in 2010, progressed past France.

An Americanisation of football but popular among players

By Eduardo Tansley

Championship rings are a custom in every major American sports league. While many fans will see them as another unnecessary Americanisation of football, players seem to like them.

Didier Drogba, Jeremie Frimpong, and a trio at Inter — Marko Arnautovic, Marcus Thuram, and Hakan Calhanoglu — are among the examples who have commissioned rings for their team-mates to commemorate winning silverware.

“Players want to see a testament to their accomplishments, and a ring is much more practical than a medal,” Jason Arasheben, the CEO of Jason of Beverly Hills, told The Athletic last year.

And if by chance any players don’t care for rings, these kinds of memorabilia tend to raise lots of money for charity. NBA legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar sold his 1987 championship ring for just under $400,000 (£309,887/€361,574), with the majority of profits going to his foundation.

FIFA’s rings are unlikely to collect the same value. They won’t be as rare because 1,996 rings are being made available to fans worldwide, on top of 30 for the victorious team.

This is not the norm with American leagues, which make the rings specifically for the winning team and its staff. Making this many available to the general public is another opportunity for FIFA to increase its profits at this tournament.

Click here to read article