Captain Armband

In the UEFA Champions League, Barcelona captains always take the pitch wearing two captain's armbands at the same time, one issued by UEFA and another representing the club.

This tradition dates back to around 2012, when UEFA introduced official captain's armbands across its club competitions. Under Article 42, Paragraph 42.01 (h) of the UEFA Kit and Equipment Regulations, armbands are prohibited from displaying decorative elements other than the word "Captain" or an abbreviation thereof.

Because Barcelona's iconic armband prominently features the four red stripes of the Catalan flag (Senyera), club captains wear a standardized UEFA armband alongside it to ensure full regulatory compliance.

For over a decade, from Carles Puyol, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi to Raphinha has maintained this tradition in the Champions League. Look closely, they almost always wear the Senyera armband on the outside.

Big thanks to @whatthekit_x for the collages.

We get a first look at the official 2026 World Cup captain armband, as worn by Hakimi. It promotes the "FIFA Football Unites the World Campaign". Unlike the sleeve badges, it apparently does not rotate.