Ban after ban from FIFA

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States, is drawing attention not only for the competition on the pitch but also for developments off it. Egypt, one of the African representatives in the tournament, has come to the fore following a decision made by FIFA.

FIFA, in accordance with the official rules of the organization, only permits stars on national team jerseys that symbolize World Cup titles. For this reason, it was requested that the seven stars on the jersey of Egypt, which has reached the top spot seven times in the Africa Cup of Nations, be removed. In compliance with the rules, the Egypt national team will take the field for their match against Belgium in the tournament wearing starless jerseys.

Previously, the Haiti national team was also forced to change their jerseys in a similar manner before a match on the grounds that they contained political messages. While the sensitivity shown by FIFA in the implementation of tournament rules has not gone unnoticed, it is stated that the relevant decisions were taken in order to maintain standards, especially in international tournaments.