Ahead of their World Cup quarterfinal against Switzerland, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) formally requested FIFA’s approval for the team to wear black mourning armbands following the passing of Antonio Ubaldo Rattin, who died at the age of 89. Rattin captained Argentina at the 1962 and 1966 FIFA World Cups and is widely regarded as one of the country’s greatest football icons.
FIFA approved the request, allowing Lionel Messi and his teammates to wear black armbands during their victory over Switzerland. The governing body also extended the permission, enabling Argentina to continue wearing the armbands in their semifinal against England.
France faced a very different outcome earlier in the tournament. During the group stage, the French Football Federation (FFF) asked FIFA for permission to allow players to wear black armbands in memory of Didier Deschamps’ mother, who passed away while the World Cup was underway.
The tragedy forced the France head coach to temporarily leave the United States, leaving assistant coach Guy Stéphan in charge for the match against Norway. The FFF had also hoped to hold a minute's silence before kickoff.
However, FIFA rejected the request. According to reports, the pre-match tribute had already been reserved to honor victims of the devastating earthquake in Venezuela, meaning France could not conduct an additional memorial ceremony. Instead, Guy Stéphan carried a bouquet of flowers onto the pitch as a personal tribute to Deschamps' late mother.
Under FIFA regulations, national teams cannot wear black mourning armbands during the World Cup without prior approval. Each request is assessed individually.
In Argentina’s case, FIFA determined that Antonio Ubaldo Rattin’s legacy was directly connected to the history of international football and the FIFA World Cup itself. Because he was a legendary former player and World Cup captain, the tribute was considered football-related and therefore eligible for approval.
France’s request, however, centered on the passing of Didier Deschamps’ mother. Although her death represented a profound personal loss for the French coach, she was not a football figure, leading FIFA to reject the request under its existing guidelines.
The distinction has prompted mixed reactions from fans, with some defending FIFA’s application of its regulations while others argue the rules lack compassion in cases involving personal bereavement.
In addition to being allowed to wear black armbands, Argentina were granted another exception before facing England in the semifinals. FIFA approved Argentina’s request to wear their dark blue alternate kit instead of the traditional sky-blue-and-white striped jersey, allowing England to play in their iconic white shirts.
It marked only the second time Argentina had worn the dark blue kit during the 2026 World Cup, following an earlier group-stage match against Jordan.
Sources: kenh14
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