France announced a change in the ceremony of listening to the anthems of the countries at the 2026 World Cup

The organizers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, have decided to change the traditional procedure for playing the national anthems of the participating countries. This was reported on June 5 by the French newspaper L'Équipe.

Now, not only 11 starting line-up players will enter the field before the start of the match, but all the players included in the application for the match. The innovations will also affect the placement of athletes.

According to the organizers, all the players will have to position themselves around the perimeter of the central circle and turn to face each other. Instead of the usual line, viewers will see all the main and reserve players of the team at the same time. It is assumed that this format will make the ceremony more spectacular and emphasize the unity of the team.

Visa survey: the United States clarified the entry rules for Russians at the 2026 World Cup

You can still apply only in Astana and Warsaw.

The International Football Federation (FIFA) announced on June 2 that the final bids of the national teams participating in the 2026 World Cup included 12 players who played in the last season of the Russian Premier League (RPL). Zenit St. Petersburg, Dynamo Moscow and Krasnodar received the largest representation among Russian clubs — two players from each of these teams will go to the World Cup.