FIFA is changing the World Cup 2026 pre-match anthem ceremony so every player named in the matchday squad, not only the starters, will take part before kick-off of every match. The new setup will place players and referees around the centre circle banner for the anthems, turning the moment into a fuller stadium presentation.
The change is being introduced for the tournament at a time when the pre-match ritual itself is becoming part of the event fans buy into. FIFA says the aim is to make the ceremony more fan-centric and to give every player selected for a squad a visible role, not just the eleven who begin the game. Gianni Infantino described it as another step in how the World Cup is presented, saying the pre-match ceremonies will be no different in terms of innovation and that the format is meant to create a moment of unity, pride and emotion for the teams and everyone in the stadium.
That is why the update matters now. World Cup 2026 will use a redesigned 360-degree ceremony built to engage every fan in the ground, with country flag banners, on-pitch elements, player entry arches and handheld flags meant to create an immersive feel from every seat. FIFA says the concept is also designed to bring more value to the whole stadium, not just the television audience. The format is being tied directly to every match at the tournament, which means the anthem sequence before kick-off will look different from the one supporters have been used to.
There is still a familiar structure beneath the new show. FIFA says the traditional handshakes, team photos for the starting line-ups and the captains’ coin toss will remain after the anthems, so the old match routine is not being replaced so much as expanded. That creates a simple friction in the new plan: the ceremony is being made bigger and more theatrical, but the sport’s most familiar pre-match customs are staying in place immediately afterward. In later matches, FIFA also plans to add coloured smoke or pyrotechnics, pushing the presentation even further.
For Infantino, the message is clear enough. The World Cup, he said, is about every player and every fan, and the new anthem ceremony is meant to reflect that. What remains to be seen at each stadium is how smoothly FIFA can stage that idea before every match without losing the flow of the rest of the pre-game ritual.
