Skip to content
Lionel Messi and Marco Friedl in a physical challenge for the ball during a World Cup match, with Messi pulling ahead.

3 things to watch for when you attend a World Cup game

Headshot of Greg St. Martin
by Greg St. Martin
Ghana's Antoine Semenyo controls the ball under pressure from an England defender during their FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

What have we learned so far about the World Cup’s new tournament structure?

Headshot of Cesareo Contreras
by Cesareo Contreras
South Africa players celebrate on the pitch after defeating South Korea in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A match in Guadalupe, Mexico.

South Africa reaches knockout round in World Cup for first time ever

Headshot of Greg St. Martin
by Greg St. Martin
Cristiano Ronaldo wearing a red jersey raises one arm in celebration on the pitch during an international match.

Football or soccer? A linguist explains the origins behind the divide

by Cody Mello-Klein
Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide stretched in the air to save the ball on the pitch as a shot goes wide during the Group C World Cup match against Morocco in Atlanta.

Own goals are soaring at World Cup. Here’s the data behind the trend

Headshot of Greg St. Martin
by Greg St. Martin
ohn McGinn #7 of Scotland and Rayan #26 of Brazil battle for the ball during a FIFA World Cup match.

What heat maps can tell us about the World Cup teams

Headshot of Cesareo Contreras
by Cesareo Contreras
Scottish fans in kilts and blue face paint play bagpipes and celebrate among a crowd at a park in the United States.

Why ‘high-emotional’ videos of World Cup tourists are going viral

Headshot of Peter Rubinstein
by Peter Rubinstein
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer dives to make a save during warmups before the World Cup Group E match against Curaçao in Houston.

How World Cup goalies can find success using ‘short memory’

Headshot of Peter Rubinstein
by Peter Rubinstein
Curaçao players Juninho Bacuna and Leandro Bacuna celebrate on the field after a FIFA World Cup Group E match at Kansas City Stadium.

Everyone loves an underdog. Here are some of the ones in the World Cup

Headshot of Cesareo Contreras
by Cesareo Contreras
Turkey's Can Uzun, left, and Turkey's Kenan Yildiz hang their heads after a loss against Paraguay.

The data shows Turkey, Ecuador have excelled. Neither team has won

Headshot of Greg St. Martin
by Greg St. Martin
Marco Friedl of Austria, goalkeeper Alexander Schlager of Austria, and Lionel Messi of Argentina go for the ball during a match.

Messi broke the record for World Cup goals. What led to his success?

Headshot of Cesareo Contreras
by Cesareo Contreras
Brothers Theo Hernandez and Lucas Hernandez share a laugh on the pitch during France's UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against Ireland at Parc des Princes.

Could sibling rivalries help several teams in the 2026 World Cup?

by Cody Mello-Klein