The World Cup will feature a ‘fan-centric’ national anthem ceremony before the kick-off of every match. Every player selected in the matchday squad will now be involved, not just the starting line-ups, allowing them to step into the spotlight and group together around the centre circle banner before the national anthems.The new pre-match ceremony at the Fifa World Cup 2026 (Fifa)Fifa believes it will maximise the pride and emotion for those representing their country on football’s biggest stage.President Gianni Infantino stated: “As the Fifa World Cup grows, we continue to innovate the way the game is experienced. The pre-match ceremonies at the Fifa World Cup 2026 will be no different.“Having all players and referees face each other in the centre circle during the national anthems will create a moment of unity, pride and emotion that truly belongs to the teams and to everyone in the stadium.“In addition, we will have a redesigned 360-degree ceremony which engages every fan in the stadium, including country flag banners and on-pitch elements oriented to create a unique, immersive experience from every seat as well as new visual elements – from player entry arches to handheld flags – poised to heighten the sense of anticipation, with enhanced features for selected matches.The new-look Fifa World Cup 2026 pre-match ceremony (Fifa)“The Fifa World Cup is about every player and every fan, and this new pre-match ceremony reflects that.”The "360-degree concept" is also geared towards bringing more value to every seat in the stadium, Fifa claims.While each country will be represented by extra-large country flag banners that will cover almost half the pitch, similar to the way NFL matches have operated in recent years with the US flag.The traditional pre-match rituals will follow the anthems, with handshakes and team photos of the starting line-ups retained. Following this, captains will meet for the coin toss.While matches later in the tournament will see coloured smoke or pyrotechnics included in the pre-match ceremony.