[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, players making their World Cup debut this summer will wear a debut badge on their jerseys. Stars such as Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal are set to make their first World Cup appearances this summer, as will the entire Scotland squad. This move forms part of a new licensing agreement, under which Fanatics will replace Panini as FIFA’s official partner for football trading cards and stickers starting in 2031. Once a player completes their World Cup debut, the badge will be removed from the jersey and made into a one-of-a-kind Topps collectible trading card. These cards will then be sent to Topps and randomly inserted into Chrome MLS collector boxes, which retail at around 120 US dollars. Each box contains 21 packs with 4 cards per pack, and every full box includes two exclusive autograph cards.
The editor believes that debut badges have been used in American sports for many years and were introduced to Major League Soccer in 2024. Each team is allocated a fixed number of debut badges. Before a player makes their first appearance, the badge is affixed to the upper right chest of the jersey. After the match, the badge is removed and mounted on an exclusive collectible trading card. At present, the design of the World Cup debut badge has not been finalized.