Sikh boys wearing patkas were among the official FIFA player escorts as Türkiye walked onto the pitch for their opening FIFA World Cup 2026 match in Vancouver, Canada.
A small moment that many viewers may have missed, but a powerful one nonetheless.
As Türkiye returned to the World Cup after 24 years, Sikh children proudly carried their identity onto football’s biggest stage in a region home to one of the world’s largest Sikh communities.
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