The Parade of Nations before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match on FOX between USA and Paraguay at at SoFi Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Inglewood, California.

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Alia Shoaib

By Alia Shoaib

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Some FIFA World Cup viewers are confused by the three-letter country codes shown next to scores on broadcasts and match graphics, because they don't reflect the English spellings of the nations.

The abbreviations — such as "SUI" for Switzerland or "MAR" for Morocco — do not always match the English names of countries, prompting questions on social media about how they are chosen.

Why It Matters

The World Cup brings together teams from across the globe, and FIFA uses standardized three-letter country codes to ensure consistency across scoreboards and broadcasts.

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But for casual or new viewers, particularly in host nations more accustomed to domestic leagues, the shorthand can be unfamiliar, especially when it does not match the English spelling of a country’s name.

What To Know

FIFA’s country codes are based on international sporting conventions and often draw on country names in their official or widely used languages.

This is why some codes reflect French spellings for countries’ names where French is an official language. For example, Switzerland is listed as "SUI" for Suisse, Morocco is "MAR" for Maroc, and Ivory Coast is "CIV" for Côte d’Ivoire.

Several other codes are derived from the country’s own native-language names. Spain uses "ESP" from its Spanish name España, while the Netherlands use "NED" for their Dutch-language name, Nederland.

In some cases, codes are based on widely recognized English abbreviations. Germany, for instance, uses "GER" rather than a form based on its native name Deutschland.

In some cases, countries have codes derived from their official names, with Saudi Arabia’s being "KSA" to represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and South Africa’s being "RSA" to mean Republic of South Africa.

The Parade of Nations before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match on FOX between USA and Paraguay at SoFi Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Inglewood, California.

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FIFA’s system broadly aligns with other international sporting standards, including the Olympics, although differences remain due to separate coding systems and historical conventions across organizations.

Full List of 2026 World Cup Teams and Codes

What Happens Next

As the tournament progresses, the country codes will remain consistent across all broadcasts, score graphics and official FIFA statistics.

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