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FIFA World Cup to have new-look pre-match player introductions
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There'll be a new feel and look to pre-match during this month's World Cup, with FIFA upping the excitement levels before every game at the 2026 tournament.
Last summer, we saw new showmanship-like ways of announcing teams during the FIFA Club World Cup, and although there will be no repeat of the player entrances, there is a fresh approach to showcase the competitors before kick-off.
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Although player names will not be read out individually, there is a big change to how the teams will be seen before games get underway.
The new idea will see the whole matchday squad, including substitutes, line up around the centre circle before the national anthems are played. This is a break from tradition, which normally sees only the starting XI take to the field and congregate in a line to observe the country's anthems.
The opening will also include extra large flag banners, which will sit either side of the centre circle on each end of the pitch, and the players will enter proceedings through a dedicated arch closest to the tunnel.
The idea is to give everyone inside the stadium a 360-degree view of the teams and build up the excitement for the matches even further.
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“As the FIFA World Cup grows, we continue to innovate the way the game is experienced,” Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, said upon the announcement.
“Having all players and referees face each other in the centre circle during the national anthems will create a moment of unity, pride and emotion that truly belongs to the teams and to everyone.
“The FIFA World Cup is about every player and every fan, and this new pre-match ceremony reflects that.”
FIFA has also confirmed that they will continue to evolve the pre-match events throughout the finals, with new elements such as coloured smoke and pyrotechnics.
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