FIFA owns, makes and licenses-out the physical badge, which can only be worn on first-team kits (not on derivative versions, or on training clothing), of the reigning title-holders and is thus a temporary award. FIFA awarded the first badge in February 2008 to Milan, the then-reigning 2007 FIFA Club World Cup champions.
The 78 by 58 mm (3.1 by 2.3 in) badge is shaped like a shield,[a] and displays the image of the relevant trophy, with the inscription FIFA WORLD CHAMPIONS, next to the year in which the relevant FIFA competition had been won.[2][3] The badge only comes in two colour schemes – gold letters on a white background, and white letters on a gold background.[4] The winning national team or club team carries the badge on their shirt until the end of the next edition of the relevant FIFA tournament; thus, it is only worn by reigning champions.[5][3][6]
The badge can be displayed on kits from the day the team becomes FIFA world champions, up to and including the day of the final of the next staging of the competition (e.g. if the team wins the competition again, they can hold the badge uninterrupted).[7][8] The badge can only be worn on the club's official first-team kits (both home and away versions) – being the team that won the relevant FIFA world competition – and cannot be worn on any derivative or retrospective form of these kits, or on any related club training clothing, or by the club's reserve teams/any other of the club's teams.[7][8]
Commercial aspects
The physical badge is manufactured by a third party on behalf of FIFA (by Unisport in 2019),[9] and orders for the physical badge from kit manufacturers must go through FIFA; a logistical situation that created delays in consumers being able to purchase Nike-made kits of the United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) with the badge in 2019.[1][9] There have also been concerns that major kit manufacturers such as Nike and Puma, have had issues licensing the FIFA Champions Badge for first-team kits that can be sold to the general public.[10]
As well as the prestige, the award brings commercial benefits to the recipients through sales of kits that include the new FIFA badge.[10][11]
Non-FIFA competitions
A separate agreement is required to wear the badge in a non-FIFA organised competition. For example, in 2009, the English FA granted Manchester United, the reigning 2008 FIFA Club World Cup holders, permission to wear the badge during FA Cup fixtures but not in the Premier League,[12] and a similar arrangement was sought for Liverpool when they became 2019 holders,[3][13] but they did grant the club the right to use the badge for one home Premier League fixture, against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 29 December 2019 (their first home match after becoming world champions).[14][15] In contrast, both Real Madrid and Barcelona were allowed to wear the FIFA Champions Badge on their shirts during all of their Spanish La Liga fixtures.[5] Manchester City, following their success in 2023, were granted permission by the Premier League to wear the badge for the remainder of the 2023/24 competition.
The first official award of the badge was made in February 2008 to honour the reigning holders of the FIFA Club World Cup, Italian club Milan, who had won the title in 2007.[16][17] At the time of the award to Milan, FIFA declared that the three previous winners of the FIFA Club World Cup, Corinthians, São Paulo, and Internacional, could also wear the badge until a new winner was crowned in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup Final in December.[18] However, when Corinthians won the badge in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA confirmed that it was their first time officially earning the FIFA Champions Badge.[19]
The badge has yet to be added for any of FIFA'a age-grade world championships—the U-17 and U-20 World Cups for men and women, the men's Olympic soccer tournament (U-23 with three over-age players allowed per squad), and the men's and women's Youth Olympic futsal tournaments (U-20).
Records
Cristiano Ronaldo wears the FIFA Champions Badge (upper left) on his Real Madrid kit. Real held the FIFA badge continuously for 1,098 days, a record for any club team.[5]
As of February 2023[update], the following records apply:
Continuous periods
On 22 December 2019, Liverpool ended Real Madrid’s uninterrupted reign as FIFA Club World Cup Champions Badge holders that lasted 1,098 days from 18 December 2016; it was noted as the longest continuous period for which any club team had held a FIFA Champions Badge.[5]
The United States women's national soccer team won the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, and was thus able to keep a FIFA World Cup Champions Badge uninterrupted since 5 July 2015, when they won the 2015 World Cup until the end of the 2023 World Cup; this was the longest continuous period for which any national team has held a FIFA Champions Badge (no other national team has yet won the badge twice in succession).
Most wins
For club teams, Real Madrid has won the right to wear the badge on five separate occasions since its inception, while Barcelona has won the right three times.
For national football teams, the United States women's team has won the right to wear the badge on two separate occasions since its inception; no men's or other women's football team has won the right more than once.
^The "2015 FIFA Equipment Regulations" notes that the dimensions are 80 by 55 mm (3.1 by 2.2 in), but notes that FIFA can change the dimensions at its discretion.[1]
^Even though FIFA presented Milan with the first "Champions Badge" seven months earlier in February 2008 as titleholders of the 2007 Club World Cup, because Italy were the reigning champions from the earlier 2006 World Cup, sometimes FIFA refers to Italy as being the "first recipient" of the badge in various press releases.[20]
^ abAt the time of the award to Milan, FIFA declared that the three previous winners of the FIFA World Club Cup, Corinthians, São Paulo, and Internacional, could also wear the badge until a new winner was crowned in the December 2008 World Club Cup final;[18] however, when Corinthians won the badge in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA confirmed that it was their first time officially winning the FIFA Champions Badge stating: "Newly-crowned FIFA Club World Cup Champions Corinthians are the latest member of the exclusive group of football teams who have the honour of wearing the FIFA World Champions Badge".[19]
References
^ ab"2015 FIFA Equipment Regulations"(PDF). FIFA. September 2015. Archived(PDF) from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2020. FIFA World Champions Badge (Chapter 14, page 81)
^"Bayern join elite group of badge-winners". Zurich: FIFA. 21 December 2013. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2018. The badge, featuring an image of the FIFA Club World Cup trophy and the text 'FIFA World Champions 2013', will act as a physical reminder of the team's successful 2013 in which they first won the UEFA Champions League in May before being crowned World Champions in Morocco.
^ abc"First 'FIFA World Champions Badge' presented to Italy". FIFA. 2 September 2008. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019. FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter today presented the very first 'FIFA World Champions Badge' to reigning world champions Italy in Coverciano, Italy. The Squadra Azzurra are the first national team to receive this badge, which from now on will be awarded after every FIFA World Cup™ finals competition. The reigning world champions will be able to wear the badge until the next FIFA World Cup.
^ abcdefghMiguel Angel Lara (4 December 2019). "Real Madrid give up the world champions badge after 1,098 days". Marca. Retrieved 22 December 2019. On December 18, 2016, Real Madrid were crowned world champions after beating Kashima Antlers and they dethroned previous winners Barcelona. Straight after the final, Adidas launched Madrid's new kit which included the world champions badge. The team officially inaugurated that shirt on January 4, 2017, in a 3-0 Copa del Rey victory against Sevilla and have since played 172 official matches, of which they have won 108 and have scored a total of 392 goals while conceding 200.
^ abSports, ed. (22 December 2019). "Liverpool won't wear golden badge for winning Club World Cup in Premier League". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 22 December 2019. A FIFA spokesperson said: "As per the usage guidelines, the winning team can wear the FIFA World Champions Badge from the day it becomes champions up to and including the final of the next edition of the tournament." Liverpool will be presented with the badge - which is 78 millimetres by 57mm - at an official ceremony. It will only be permitted on current first-team shirts - not retro shirts or training attire.
^ abcStephanie Yang (15 May 2019). "Show me the merch: what's going on with the USWNT's World Cup jersey sales?". Stars and Stripes F.C. Retrieved 5 January 2020. World Cup champion patches are manufactured by Unisport, which adds a layer of logistics obviously, and actually draws FIFA into the mix, as orders reportedly go through them (which makes sense, since it's their brand).
^"New Balance set for Liverpool kit boost following Club World Cup despite Nike deal". Irish Mirror. 28 December 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2020. Sports marketing expert Tim Crow wrote on Twitter: "After losing Liverpool's licensing rights to Nike from next season, this is a big bonus for New Balance in the final few months of their LFC contract. FIFA Champions badge is a big sales driver as Real Madrid has shown."
^ ab"FIFA awards special 'Club World Champion' badge to AC Milan". FIFA. 2 February 2008. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019. At a ceremony today at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke officially presented a badge to AC Milan's CEO Adriano Galliani to honour their club's victory at the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup. This new badge will also be provided to the winning club of all future editions of the competition.
^ ab"FIFA awards special 'Club World Champion' badge to AC Milan". FIFA. 7 February 2008. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019. FIFA will also honour the three previous winners of the FIFA Club World Cup from Brazil - Corinthians, Sao Paulo FC and Sport Club Internacional - with a similar distinction
^ abc"Corinthians join elite group of badge-wearers". FIFA. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2019. Newly-crowned FIFA Club World Cup Champions Corinthians are the latest member of the exclusive group of football teams who have the honour of wearing the FIFA World Champions Badge.
^ abcdefg"FIFA World Champions Badge honours Real Madrid's impeccable year". FIFA. 20 October 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019. The badge is also worn by the Japanese women's national team following their triumph at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011™, while the most recent edition of the FIFA Futsal World Cup in 2012 saw the Brazilian national team take the title, along with the first FIFA World Champions Badge to be handed over for that particular competition. The latest tournament to be introduced to this exclusive award was the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Tahiti 2013, where reigning champions Russia were awarded the FIFA World Champions Badge.
^ ab"Badge of champions awarded to FC Barcelona". FIFA. 11 January 2012. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020. This is the second time that FC Barcelona have had the honour of wearing the badge, following their victory at the FIFA Club World Cup in 2009.
.jpg)
