UEFA Champions League to introduce ‘debut’ badges for first-time players

The UEFA Champions League will feature special “first appearance” badges during the 2026-27 campaign, allowing supporters to identify players making their competition debut.

The initiative is part of an agreement between Fanatics and UEFA, according to The Athletic. It will give players taking part in the tournament for the first time in their careers a small badge on the sleeve of their shirts.

The wording “first appearance” will also be incorporated into the UEFA Champions League Starball logo used on the badge. The design is intended to make it clear to fans that the player is appearing in the competition for the first time.

Players who make their debut after coming on as substitutes will qualify for the badge. However, footballers who are named among the substitutes but do not take part in the match will not receive one at that stage.

Being included in a squad for the first time will not be enough to trigger eligibility. Those players will have to wait until they make their first appearance on the pitch before they can wear the badge.

The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League campaign is scheduled to begin on 8 September. The new marking will therefore be introduced from the start of the competition, rather than being added later in the season.

The plan is also expected to be extended to the UEFA Women’s Champions League from the 2027-28 season. That would bring the same identification system to the women’s competition, although its introduction is not expected until the following campaign.

The “first appearance” badges were first seen at the World Cup in the summer of 2026. Their planned use in the UEFA Champions League represents the next stage of the agreement between Fanatics and UEFA.

The badges will apply only to players making their first appearance in the competition. A player who has previously featured in the UEFA Champions League will not qualify, even if they are representing a different club or returning to the tournament after an absence.

Likewise, a player who is selected in a matchday squad but remains on the bench without playing will not be regarded as having made a debut. Their eligibility begins only once they enter the match and record an actual appearance.

The measure is designed to give supporters an immediate visual indication of a significant moment in a player’s career. For those making their first UEFA Champions League appearance, the sleeve badge will mark their entry into the competition while the Starball branding remains part of the tournament’s established visual identity.