In the months leading up to the 2026 World Cup, FIFA asked NFL teams whose stadiums would be hosting the tournament to provide drumlines and cheerleaders for matches, according to people familiar with the matter.

For both FIFA and the NFL, the inclusion of classic U.S. marching bands and pom-pom toting cheerleaders was a way to inject some real American football flair within the apex of fútbol.

There was just one catch: The performers, like the NFL stadiums themselves, would be subject to FIFA’s “clean venue” policy, meaning they could not sport any corporate branding in conflict with official FIFA partners. In practice, that has meant drummers who traditionally wore Nike-issued NFL jerseys would have to cover up their swooshes, since rival Adidas is the official partner of FIFA.

The implications of FIFA’s clean-stadium policy have been well documented in the months leading up to the World Cup, with virtually every participating venue going to extreme lengths to cover up stadium sponsors. Denim jeans maker Levi’s, which owns the naming rights to the San Francisco 49ers stadium in Santa Clara, has even poked fun at the required tarp covering its logo during the World Cup.

But the extension of the sponsor-free requirements to uniforms of entertainers performing at the request of FIFA has not been previously reported.

At last week’s group stage match between Curaçao and Ivory Coast in Philadelphia, members of the Eagles drumline sported patches over their green-and-white football jerseys, replacing the Nike manufacturer logo.

“Slight uniform modifications were made to comply with the established World Cup regulations and guidelines set forth by FIFA,” an Eagles spokesperson told Sportico about the team’s drumline, adding that “performing in front of the FIFA crowds this summer was an exciting and unique opportunity to introduce our entertainment teams to the world.”

A spokesman for FIFA did not have an immediate comment. Spokespeople for Nike did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Other NFL teams took more drastic action. The 49ers are providing drumline performers for matches at Levi’s Stadium, albeit not in the typical 49ers jerseys worn by the “Niner Noise” squad, according to a person familiar with the matter; instead, the drummers have worn plain white T-shirts and white Adidas shorts.

A spokeswoman for the 49ers deferred questions about the drumline to FIFA.

Drumlines and cheerleaders have been tapped to perform within stadiums during some match hydration breaks, meaning they’re not regular fixtures of World Cup television broadcasts and are there primarily for the entertainment of fans attending in person. In several cases, drumlines are not directly employed by their NFL teams but are contracted from professional performing arts companies.

Ben Nadler is director of BD Entertainment, which produces professional drumlines for dozens of corporate clients including for NFL, NBA, NHL and MLS teams. Among them is the New York Giants, whose G-Line drumline has performed at several World Cup matches at Met Life in East Rutherford, N.J.—also the site of the July 19 final.

The G-Line uniform “didn’t have too much obvious concern” for compliance with the FIFA rules since members typically perform in T-shirts, Nadler said.

Asked whether FIFA or the NFL teams are paying for the entertainer performances, Nadler declined to comment. A spokesperson for the Miami Dolphins also declined to comment, while spokespeople for the Giants, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs did not have or did not respond to requests for comment.