The winners of Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and Argentina will receive championship rings in addition to the trophy and gold medals, FIFA announced on Saturday, marking another sign of the governing body’s efforts to Americanise its flagship tournament.
FIFA confirmed that 30 bespoke rings will be presented to the winning team following the final at New York New Jersey Stadium. The captain and head coach will initially receive temporary versions immediately after the match, with the rings later customised to reflect the identity of the winning team.
Championship rings are a long-standing tradition in major North American sports, including the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball, and NHL, but have never previously been awarded at a FIFA competition.
One side of each ring will feature the World Cup trophy, while the other will carry details specific to the champions. The players’ rings will form part of a limited edition of 2,026 individually numbered pieces, with the remaining 1,996 made available for sale to fans worldwide as officially licensed products.
The introduction of rings caps a tournament in which FIFA has shown increasing willingness to reshape the presentation of soccer in the image of American sport. Sunday’s final will also feature a major halftime entertainment show, a concept more readily associated with the Super Bowl than the World Cup.
Mandatory hydration breaks throughout the tournament have effectively divided matches into quarters, with three-minute pauses around the 22nd and 67th minutes applied regardless of conditions. FIFA has defended the policy on player-welfare grounds, citing the heat and humidity of the North American summer.
However, the blanket use of the breaks has drawn criticism from players, coaches, and fans who argue they disrupt the flow of matches and give coaches what amount to two extra tactical timeouts.
The breaks have also created mid-half commercial windows, though FIFA has rejected suggestions they were introduced with advertising in mind.
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