The World Cup is full of symbolism, and FIFA recently introduced another one. The most attentive fans noticed that Cristiano Ronaldo wore a special patch on the sleeve of his shirt during the goalless draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Portugal’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Football’s governing body has launched the Legacy Patch, which honors players competing in at least their fifth World Cup at the 2026 tournament. This group consists of five players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luka Modrić, Manuel Neuer, and Yūto Nagatomo.
Veteran Japanese defender Yūto Nagatomo and German captain Manuel Neuer also wore the patch during their nations’ opening matches against the Netherlands and Curaçao. Messi displayed it in Argentina’s match against Algeria, where he became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in World Cup history and equaled Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. Modrić, meanwhile, wore it in Croatia’s 4–2 defeat to England.
Which players have appeared in five or more World Cups?
Throughout World Cup history, only eight players have participated in at least five editions of the tournament, and Modrić is expected to become the ninth during Croatia’s match against England.
- Lionel Messi (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
- Antonio Carbajal (1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966)
- Andrés Guardado (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022)
- Rafael Márquez (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018)
- Lothar Matthäus (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998)
- Manuel Neuer (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
- Yūto Nagatomo (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
- Luka Modrić (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Guillermo Ochoa, Mexico’s legendary goalkeeper, could also join this exclusive list in 2026, which would make it his sixth World Cup. However, he has not yet received the patch because he has not taken the field for Mexico during the tournament.
They’re not the only patches!
Four other patches are being used throughout the World Cup in North America. The first is for players making their World Cup debut, such as Endrick, Rayan, and Gabriel Magalhães for Brazil. The second is for players who have been named the best player of a previous World Cup — in this tournament, only Messi and Modrić qualify. The third is for top scorers from previous editions (Kylian Mbappé – 2022, Harry Kane – 2018, and James Rodríguez – 2014). The fourth and final patch is for goalkeepers who have won the Golden Glove at past World Cups, awarded only to Thibaut Courtois (2018) and Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez (2022).
