The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada will be the most expansive international football tournament ever staged.
FIFA’s decision to increase the number of participating teams from 32 to 48 will make the tournament even more appealing to fans worldwide.
With that in mind, read on as we look at ten things you didn’t know about the 2026 World Cup, starting with a strange rule relating to ticket sales.
FIFA springs a surprise
When the first 2026 World Cup ticket lottery opened last week, more than 1.5 million applications were submitted to FIFA in the first 24 hours.
However, the governing body had neglected to publicise that ‘entries are limited to only one per household’, sparking an angry reaction from many applicants.
FIFA can disqualify entries that breach the little-known rule and prevent the associated individuals from being selected in the draw.
You can attend the World Cup for free
While World Cup tickets will be difficult to acquire, there is another way that people can watch the games in person.
FIFA are looking for 65,000 volunteers for the tournament and they are guaranteed to be oversubscribed across all of the host cities.
Volunteers must be aged 18 or older and have a good knowledge of English language. Knowledge of English and Spanish is preferred in Mexico, while the ability to speak French is desired in Canada.
World Cup dwarfs the Super Bowl
Many North American sports fans are under the misapprehension that their favourite sports stand head and shoulders above the rest on the world stage.
For instance, the NFL Super Bowl is marketed as a ‘global event’, but does not come close to the World Cup in terms of worldwide interest.
The 2022 final between Argentina and France in Qatar reached an estimated 1.5 billion viewers globally, dwarfing the Super Bowl’s 115 million.
Back-to-back winners are rare
Given that only eight nations have won the World Cup since it was first staged in 1930, it is surprising that no team has won the title three times in a row.
Back-to-back winners are rare, with only Italy (1934 & 1938) and Brazil (1958 & 1962) the only teams who have achieved the feat.
Argentina head into the 2026 edition as the reigning champions, but history suggests they will find it difficult to clinch the trophy again.
Brazil bidding to end drought
Five-time winners Brazil will once again head into the World Cup as one of the bookmakers’ favourites to emerge victorious.
However, despite being the most successful nation in the history of the tournament, their recent record leaves a lot to be desired.
They will bid to end a 24-year drought next summer and have hired legendary Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti to guide the team.
Dallas will be the centre for broadcast operations
The International Broadcast Centre (IBC) at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre in Dallas will serve as a hub for the tournament’s media operations.
The IBC will oversee the live editing and direction of broadcast content for all 104 matches and provide top-class facilities for approximately 2,000 media representatives.
Previous World Cup tournaments have had separate broadcast centres for each match, but bringing everything under one roof should streamline the processes.
US travel ban could be problematic
Us president Donlad Trump recently announced a travel ban on the citizens of 12 countries, which could have an impact on the World Cup.
The list includes Iran, who have already qualified for the tournament. Haiti and Venezuela are other nations who could potentially be affected.
National team personnel will be cleared to travel, but supporters from countries on the banned list will miss out unless Trump relaxes the rules.
This will undoubtedly boost a demand for soccer streams for the 2026 World Cup around the world.
England came late to the World Cup party
England were initially reluctant to jump on the World Cup bandwagon and did not compete for the first time until the 1950 edition in Brazil.
A general feeling that England was already the ‘best’ at football and did not need to prove themselves was cited as the primary reason for their absence.
That arrogance still rankles other top nations, many of whom have taken great delight in England’s repeated failures in major tournaments.
World Cups trigger baby booms
The World Cup is renowned for triggering a wave of pregnancies, particularly in the host nations.
That point was hammered home around nine months after the 2006 edition finished, with the birth rate increasing by ten percent in Germany.
There have been similar spikes in nations which have won the tournament, with joyous fans getting carried away on a wave of emotion.
The 2026 World Cup will be a money-spinner
While most fans know that football is a lucrative business, many may be surprised to discover how much prize money is up for grabs next summer.
FIFA has confirmed that the total prize pool will be $896 million for the tournament, which will be distributed to the national association of each participating team.
The money is not directly awarded to the players, although the respective governing bodies can choose to reward them for their efforts.
