For the first time in history, FIFA awards the World Cup winner the 'Champions' Ring'

For the first time in the history of the sport, the winner of the World Cup final, scheduled for next Sunday between Spain and Argentina, will receive champion rings alongside the trophy and gold medals, according to an announcement by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), marking the latest indication of its efforts to Americanize its premier tournament.

FIFA stated it would award 30 custom-designed rings to the winning team after the final match at the New York–New Jersey stadium, with the team captain and coach initially receiving temporary copies immediately after the game.

The rings will subsequently be redesigned to reflect the identity of the champion national team, with each ring individually sized, before being officially presented at a later date.

Champion rings are a firmly established tradition in major American sports, such as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and the National Hockey League, but have never before been awarded in any tournament organized by FIFA.

The adoption of this tradition comes at the conclusion of a tournament that demonstrated FIFA’s growing willingness to reshape the presentation of football, and at times even its rhythm, in alignment with the American sports model.