Premier League Rules Won't Allow Liverpool to Wear FIFA World Champions Badges

Liverpool are world champions for the first time after beating Flamengo in the FIFA Club World Cup final and have accordingly earned the right to adorn their shirt with a gold winner’s badge. But the Reds aren’t allowed to display that badge in their own backyard in the Premier League.

Until their title passed to Liverpool on Saturday, Real Madrid had worn the FIFA world champions badge since 2016 after winning the last three Club World Cups. It took pride of place on the front of their shirts in every competition – La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League.

Barcelona have also worn that special patch in the past. Elsewhere, Inter and Bayern Munich have also had it, and both were able to display it in their respective domestic leagues.

The Premier League, however, doesn’t allow it to be worn. Liverpool could wear the champions patch in the FA Cup, but only if the FA approves a special application to wear something that is slightly different than their registered Premier League strips.

It means that Liverpool will more than likely only wear their world champions badge in Champions League games, because at least UEFA does allow it.

When Manchester United won the Club World Cup in 2008 and earned the FIFA world champions badge, they too only got to display it in the Champions League, and not domestically.

Quite frankly, it is ridiculous that Liverpool, and any other English club that achieves something at a global level, are denied the opportunity to celebrate their victory by restrictive rules in their own country – rules that simply aren’t the case in other major European leagues.

Does the Premier League, which has thrived for more than two decades off promoting the image of itself as the best league in the world, not want to promote the fact that one of its own clubs is actually the best in the world?

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