Golden patches on World Cup shirts: which players wear them in 2026

Three players at the 2026 World Cup are wearing golden patches on their sleeves to honor past Golden Boot wins.

Golden Boot patches appear When England started their 2026 World Cup match against Croatia, viewers noticed a distinct golden patch on Harry Kane’s sleeve below the tournament badge. The patch is exclusively worn by players who previously won the World Cup Golden Boot. Kane earned this honor in 2018 in Russia, scoring six goals to lead England to the semifinals. France forward Kylian Mbappe also wore the same golden patch during his team’s victory over Senegal, after winning the Golden Boot in Qatar four years earlier by scoring eight goals. Colombia’s James Rodriguez is the only other player at this summer’s tournament wearing the golden patch, recognizing his six-goal performance at Brazil 2014. ## Other special patches at the tournament Beyond the golden boot patches, several other commemorative sleeves are visible during the 2026 World Cup. Teams that have won the tournament before—such as England—display a gold World Cup badge on their shirts. First-time participants wear a sleeve patch combining the tournament logo with the words ‘Debut FIFA World Cup.’ Veterans of five or more World Cups are recognized with a flag of their country beneath the World Cup logo, marked with the word ‘legacy.’ Goalkeepers who have been named the best at the tournament also wear a special patch showing a glove crest beneath the World Cup logo. ## Lists of honored players The gold World Cup badge is worn by seven past winners: Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002), Germany (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014), Argentina (1978, 1986, 2022), France (1998, 2018), Uruguay (1930, 1950), Spain (2010), and England (1966). The Golden Boot winners’ patches belong to Harry Kane of England, Kylian Mbappe of France, and James Rodriguez of Colombia. The Golden Glove winners’ patches feature Emiliano Martinez of Argentina, Thibaut Courtois of Belgium, and Manuel Neuer of Germany. The ‘legacy’ patch is worn by Lionel Messi of Argentina, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, Luka Modric of Croatia, Manuel Neuer of Germany, and Yuto Nagatoma of Japan. ## Purpose of the patches These patches are part of a long-term partnership between FIFA and Topps trading cards. Immediately after each match, the patches are removed from players’ shirts to be included in collectible packs sold to fans. This collaboration with Topps—owned by Fanatics—begins in 2031, following the end of FIFA’s existing deal with Panini.