FIFA announces 'fan-centric' changes to the national anthem at World Cup 2026
FIFA has announced a new 'fan-centric' national anthem ceremony for World Cup 2026, which will feature all players in the matchday squad and enhance the pre-match experience.
A 'fan-centric' national anthem ceremony will be held at the World Cup 2026, as FIFA has announced a significant change ahead of next week's kick-off. The matchday squad will now include every player selected, not just the starting line-up, giving them prominence and allowing them to gather around the center circle banner before the national anthems. FIFA believes this will maximize the pride and emotion for players representing their country on football's biggest stage. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “As the FIFA World Cup evolves, we will continue to innovate the way the game is experienced. The pre-match ceremony at the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be no different.
“Having all the players and referees facing each other in the center circle during the national anthems will create a moment of unity, pride and emotion that will truly belong to the teams and everyone in the stadium.
The redesigned FIFA World Cup 2026 pre-match ceremony will feature a 360-degree ceremony that will engage every fan in the stadium, including banners of country flags and elements on the pitch designed to create a unique, immersive experience from every seat. There will also be new visual elements – such as player entrance arches and handheld flags – designed to heighten the sense of anticipation, with special features for selected matches.
The FIFA World Cup is about every player and every fan, and this new pre-match ceremony reflects just that. The "360-degree concept" aims to bring more value to every seat in the stadium, FIFA claims. Each country will be represented with banners of extra-large country flags, covering approximately half the pitch, as has been the case with US flags at NFL matches in recent years.
The pre-match ceremony will be followed by traditional rituals, including handshakes and team photographs of the starting line-up. After this, the captains will meet for the coin toss. While later matches in the tournament, pre-match celebrations will include colored smoke or fireworks.