Every World Cup scoreboard carries the same shorthand: three letters that stand for a nation and most are instantly recognizable.

England, for example, is ENG, Brazil is clearly BRA and GER stands for Germany, and so on. However, it isn’t as black and white for every country in the tournament.

Some seem to make little to no sense at all. There are those that possess codes that don’t match how English-speaking fans say their name — and the logic behind it is surprisingly more interesting than it looks.

Here’s a look into some World Cup trivia.

Why Are Spain ESP?

REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

This one is easily explained, but Spain features an ESP rather than SPA. In this case, it comes from the country’s own name for itself: España.

The FIFA country codes are typically built from a nation’s official name rather than the English translation. Spain is one of the clearest examples of this. Yet, if FIFA had gone with the English word, the code would more plausibly read SPA.

Why Are Switzerland SUI?

Switzerland‘s case is a little deeper. The country has four national languages (German, French, Italian and Romansh), but FIFA’s code doesn’t borrow any of the obvious options.

SUI comes from Suisse, which is the French name for the country. It also isn’t SWI, the English-based abbreviation that fans would assume, and it isn’t CHE either (Switzerland’s separate ISO code taken from the Latin title and used mainly for postal and diplomatic purposes rather than sport). Hence, why Switzerland is SUI.

List of World Cup 2026 Team Abbreviations

Amber Searls/ Imagn Images via Reuters

Spain and Switzerland aren’t the only outliers; they are two among a group that follow a similar pattern. Take Morocco (MAR) and Ivory Coast (CIV) as examples. Those two follow the same French-derived logic as SUI, taken from Maroc and Côte d’Ivoire, respectively.

Then there are some codes that exist purely to avoid collisions. Austria becomes AUT rather than the more obvious AUS due to the fact Australia claimed the code first.

A third group also exists; it leans into formality rather than geographic. Saudi Arabia (KSA) and South Africa (RSA) both use codes from their full official titles. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of South Africa — rather than the shorthand for the country name alone.

Turkish women’s tennis player, Zeynep Sonmez, has revealed what she asked the Wimbledon bosses after they banned her from wearing her usual pro-Palestine pin while competing at SW19 this year.

Sonmez is currently ranked number 51 in the world, and she made it through from the first round of the women’s singles by defeating Ann Li, before losing to American Claire Liu in the following round.

Despite her singles woes, Sonmez returned to the court earlier this week to compete in the women’s doubles event, alongside Jessica Maneiro. However, the duo were eliminated in round one in three sets.

Player Banned From Displaying Pro-Palestine Symbol at Wimbledon

Credit: REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

During her three-match run at this year’s edition of Wimbledon, Sonmez showed her support for Palestine through the use of a vibration dampener, which has the symbol of a watermelon.

A watermelon is grown in Palestine, and the fruit has often been used as a substitute for the flag.

Throughout her career, Sonmez has regularly attached a watermelon pin to her dress when competing, but she revealed that she was banned from wearing it at this year’s Wimbledon.

“I used to wear a pin. Tournaments no longer allow me to wear it,” she told members of the media, before revealing what she had asked tournament bosses about the decision.

Why Wimbledon Bosses Banned Pro-Palestine Symbol

“We discussed with the organisers. [I asked why] the Ukrainian flag is allowed, but the Palestinian is not. They ultimately told us they definitely won’t allow it. So, I can’t wear the pin.”

Organisers are reported to have cited the tournament’s strict dress code as the reasoning behind the decision.

“I can use the vibration dampener, and they can’t object to that. That’s why I put the watermelon symbol on my racket.”

The watermelon, which features the same colours as the Palestinian flag, has become a widely-used symbol of Palestinian resilience against Israeli oppression and occupation

In response to her stance, Osman Askin Bak, who is the Turkish minister of Youth and Sports, supported her in her brave efforts by writing a post on the social media app ‘X’ which read:

“By refusing to remain silent in the face of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine, she has once again demonstrated with her honourable stance that sport is not merely about competition; it is also a carrier of universal values.

“For this meaningful sensitivity, we wholeheartedly congratulate our athlete and respectfully salute every conscientious voice that stands with the oppressed.”

When previously asked about her support towards Palestine and her choice to wear a pin when in competition, Sonmez told the WTA about how it affects her emotionally:

“It’s a sensitive area for me. People in Palestine are suffering. I see videos and photos and feel like there’s not so much we can do.

“But we can always do our best, it’s like I was saying, you can be the best version of yourself. I want everyone to know that I’m standing with them.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been the busiest club in the transfer market so far this summer, but they aren’t done yet.

The north London club finished 17th in the Premier League for a second consecutive season, but manager Roberto De Zerbi has been given a war chest to rebuild the squad and make them competitive again.

So far the Italian has added Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Martin Dubravka, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Mateus Fernandes, while a £100m deal for Sandro Tonali has also been agreed to bring him in from Newcastle. The club are now believed to be looking at their forward line next, and the top target has been revealed.

Tottenham Prioritise Savinho Transfer

via Reuters

Spurs have shown a strong interest in a number of forward options in the market, with Crysencio Summerville among the names touted as possible options to make the switch.

But while speaking on talkSPORT, GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs has revealed that there is a man above the Netherlands international on their shortlist, following Man Utd opening talks for the West Ham star.

“Talks are now underway directly between West Ham United and Manchester United for Crysencio Summerville, who’s just getting back from the World Cup, and don’t forget that Tottenham have looked at him in the past as well,” he said.

“Their primary focus is Savinho. Let’s see whether the Manchester City board choose to sanction that deal or not.”

Savinho has already agreed personal terms ahead of a move to north London and wants to join, but talks continue between the two clubs over a fee. It’s understood that City want around £60m to let the Brazilian leave.

Savinho Could Be Next In The Door

Savinho arrived at Man City from Troyes in 2024 after a terrific spell in La Liga on loan at Girona, and immediately excited fans with his tricky footwork, pace and creativity.

It’s not easy to get compliments from Pep Guardiola, but he called the youngster ‘extraordinary’, showing just how talented he is. A lack of regular game time saw his form dip, but De Zerbi is the perfect manager to get that out of his system and get him back to his best.

Spurs are ready to splash the cash, and Savinho is a player who could make a big difference to their attack next season. They’ve set their sights on the deal, and it’s one to pay attention to in the coming weeks as they look to close it.