FIFA orders Egypt to remove seven stars from World Cup jersey

Egypt's national football team must remove seven stars from their jersey emblem for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, following a directive from FIFA. These stars symbolize Egypt's record seven Africa Cup of Nations titles, a continental championship not recognized by FIFA for jersey adornment in its premier tournament.

This is not the first time FIFA has enforced this rule on Egypt; the team was similarly instructed to remove the stars for the 2018 Russia World Cup. According to ESPN, FIFA's regulations stipulate that only nations that have won the World Cup are permitted to feature stars on their kits. An exception is made for Uruguay, which displays four stars despite winning the World Cup only twice in 1930 and 1950, as FIFA also acknowledges their two Olympic gold medals from 1924 and 1928.

In addition to the star removal, Egypt has also been required to change the color of their back numbers from gold to white. FIFA mandated this alteration to enhance readability for media and fans during the North American World Cup. Egypt, making their fourth World Cup appearance and first in eight years, will debut their modified kit against Belgium in their opening Group G match on the 16th.

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FIFA only allows teams that have won the World Cup to have stars on their jerseys.