FIFA announces new pre-match ceremony for 2026 World Cup
FIFA announces new pre-match ceremony for 2026 World Cup
Seth Vertelney, USA TODAYThu, June 4, 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC
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FIFA has announced a new pre-match ceremony format for the 2026 World Cup, which will see the entire matchday squad for both teams on the field rather than just the starting lineups.
The pre-game walkouts will look markedly different from previous World Cups, where each team's starting 11 lined up next to one another near midfield.
At this year's World Cup, every player on both teams' matchday squad will enter the pitch through a dedicated arch, accompanied by youth escorts. The players will then line up around the center circle for national anthems, with extra-large country flag banners on either side of the pitch.
World Cup 2026 pre-match ceremony
FIFA said the new ceremony will allow every player, not just starters, to experience the "symbolic moment of pride and emotion when representing their country on football's greatest stage."
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"As the FIFA World Cup grows, we continue to innovate the way the game is experienced," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
"Having all players and referees face each other in the center circle during the national anthems will create a moment of unity, pride and emotion that truly belongs to the teams and to everyone.
"The FIFA World Cup is about every player and every fan, and this new pre-match ceremony reflects that."
The World Cup will be held from June 11 through July 19, with the United States, Canada and Mexico serving as co-hosts.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 World Cup: FIFA reveals new pre-match ceremony
Source: “AOL Sports”
