The Secret Behind Uniform Patches: Turning Into Cards Worth Hundreds of Millions of Won

Players participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America are wearing an official emblem patch on the right sleeve of their uniforms, which combines the World Cup trophy with the number '26'.

There are a few secrets hidden within these small patches.

Each national team must use only white or black patches, depending on the color of their uniform.

There are exceptions, however.

Some teams that have previously won the World Cup are permitted to wear special gold-colored patches.

It is a gesture of honor.

Defending champion Argentina, as well as Uruguay, Germany, Brazil, England, France, and Spain, are wearing gold patches in this tournament.

Some players are also eligible to attach another special patch underneath the World Cup emblem patch.

Players making their first appearance in the World Cup finals can wear a 'debut patch,' while those who have played in five or more tournaments are eligible to wear a 'legacy patch.'

Additionally, players who have won the top scorer award in previous World Cups can attach a 'Golden Boot winner patch,' and those who have won the Golden Glove, the award for the best goalkeeper, can wear a 'Golden Glove winner patch.'

Oh Hyeon-gyu (Beşiktaş) wore a debut patch and scored the winning goal during the Group A opening match against the Czech Republic, held at Guadalajara Stadium in Jalisco, Mexico, on June 12 (KST).

Argentina's star Lionel Messi wore a legacy patch, while France's Kylian Mbappé wore a Golden Boot winner patch during their respective opening matches of the tournament.

German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is eligible for both the legacy patch and the Golden Glove patch; he wore the legacy patch during the Group E opening match against Curaçao on June 15.

FIFA introduced these special patches as part of its revenue generation and marketing strategy.

After the matches, the patches will be removed from the uniforms, autographed by the players, and inserted into trading cards produced by the sports card company Topps.

FIFA signed an official trading card and licensing agreement with Topps in May and plans to sell the related cards starting in 2031, after the expiration of its contract with the existing provider.

Cards featuring patches from players who competed in this World Cup are scheduled to be sold as special editions starting in 2031.

Topps already has contracts with Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Basketball Association (NBA) to sell cards featuring such patches.

The value of these cards varies depending on the player's fame, the significance of the game, and the card's rarity.

A card featuring an autographed debut patch of Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who won the Cy Young Award last year, was sold at an auction in March of last year for $1.11 million (approximately 1.68 billion won).

Experts predict that patch cards of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), for whom the 2026 North and Central America World Cup is likely their final tournament, could reach astronomical values in the future.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.