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.

Penalty shootouts are football’s ultimate psychological battle. While power and placement remain crucial, many of the world’s best penalty takers now rely on deception just as much as technique. One of the most common methods is the stutter or stop-start run-up — a style that divides opinion every time it appears on the biggest stage.

From World Cups to the Premier League, players such as Jorginho, Bruno Fernandes and Neymar have made the technique famous, while tournaments like Euro 2024 and the World Cup have again sparked debates over whether the tactic gives shooters too much of an advantage. So, why is it legal, how do players execute it, and which penalties have become the most memorable examples?

What is the Stutter Run-Up in Penalties?

A stutter run-up is exactly what it sounds like: rather than running continuously towards the ball, the penalty taker briefly slows down, hesitates or changes rhythm before striking it.

The objective is simple: before committing to a corner before the kick, the taker waits to see whether the goalkeeper moves first. If the keeper dives early, the striker can calmly place the ball in the opposite direction.

It differs from the illegal feint because the hesitation happens during the run-up, before the kicking leg begins its final swing towards the ball.

It is legal, provided it is performed correctly. The IFAB Laws of the Game state that players are allowed to feint during the run-up to confuse the goalkeeper. However, once the player has completed the run-up and starts the kicking motion, they cannot stop completely or perform another exaggerated feint before striking the ball.

If a player illegally feints after completing the run-up, they are cautioned for unsporting behaviour and the penalty is recorded as missed if the ball enters the goal.

The rule attempts to balance the contest between the taker and goalkeeper whilst preventing attackers from gaining an unfair advantage at the very last moment.

How do players perform a stutter penalty?

REUTERS/Raquel Cunha via Action Images

Most players follow a similar process, taking a controlled rather than explosive run-up, slowing slightly one or two strides before reaching the ball. They watch the keeper’s movement rather than focusing solely on the ball, and strike into the opposite corner if the goalkeeper commits early. Issues can arise should the goalkeeper remain firm and not commit, meaning the taker must pick a side and execute clearly.

The technique demands exceptional composure. If the goalkeeper refuses to move, the taker still needs to generate enough power and accuracy despite interrupting their own momentum.

Former England goalkeeper Ben Foster has repeatedly explained why the tactic is so hard to face, saying: “Don’t dive too early because, while he’s running up, you don’t want to be moving in the direction you’re going to go because the better players will just roll it in the opposite corner.”

He recently said on The Two Robbies & Friends Podcast: “The second you stutter, you can’t get the same amount of purchase on the ball. I can wait and still save it.”

Notable Stutter Run-Up Penalties

There have been plenty of penalties during the 2026 World Cup campaign. Justin Kluivert noticeably missed his stutter penalty during the Netherlands’ penalty shootout against Morocco, which resulted in the Dutch being eliminated.

Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade also had their stutter penalties saved during Germany’s penalty shootout against Paraguay, although Joshua Kimmich’s similar technique was successful.

The technique was made popular by ex-Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, whose penalty routine took the Premier League by storm, with the Italian scoring 51 penalties during his whole career. However, even he hasn’t been immune to mistakes, missing a penalty during Chelsea’s EFL Cup final loss to Manchester City in 2018, as well as missing two penalties against Switzerland, which would have seen Italy bag qualification to the 2022 World Cup.

The Stutter run-up remains controversial because it shifts part of the contest away from pure striking ability and towards psychology. Some argue that the technique unfairly forces goalkeepers to move first, especially given modern interpretations requiring keepers to keep at least part of one foot on the goal line until the ball is kicked.

Penalties arguably already heavily favour attackers, and varying the run-up simply represents another legitimate skill. Reading a goalkeeper’s body language, maintaining balance and still finding the corner requires exceptional technical quality under immense pressure.

As long as the players stay within IFAB’s laws, the stutter run-up is likely to remain a feature of football’s biggest occasions. Whether loved or hated, it has become one of the defining penalty techniques of the modern game — and one that continues to test the nerve of both takers and goalkeepers whenever a match hangs in the balance.

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.”