News & Stories
News & Stories
Reporting, profiles and explainers from the road to '26.
Tag
world-cup-2026 · u23 · prospects · youth · players · profiles
The U23 Class of WC26: Twenty Players Who Could Become Global Stars This Summer
Yamal, Endrick, Wirtz, Mainoo, Doué — twenty under-23s who will use WC26 as their global launchpad. Tier list, profiles and the structural reason this class is the deepest in a generation.
May 21, 202614 min read
world-cup-2026 · dark-horses · model · betting-markets · elo
The Underdog Index: A Model for Picking the Cinderella of WC26
We built a composite model — betting markets, Elo, friendlies form, and seeding — that retro-predicted Costa Rica 2014, Croatia 2018, and Morocco 2022. Here is what it says about the 2026 dark horses.
May 21, 202611 min read
world-cup-2026 · var · rules · referees · ifab
Every VAR Rule Change Between 2022 and 2026, Explained
Handball clarifications, pitchside announcements, captain-only protocol, body-cam trials — a definitive walkthrough of what's new in the VAR rulebook for WC26.
May 21, 202616 min read
world-cup-2026 · xg · analytics · statsbomb · opta · fbref
A Decade of Expected Goals at the World Cup: What the Data Says About 2026 Favourites
Three World Cups, three xG models, one consistent lesson: finishing variance is everything in a 64-match tournament. Here is what the last decade of expected-goals data tells us about who is really good in 2026.
May 21, 202611 min read
schedule · fixtures · kickoff · world-cup-2026 · venues
World Cup 2026 Schedule: Every Match, Every Venue, Every Kickoff
The full World Cup 2026 schedule by stage and venue — group stage, Round of 32, knockouts, Final — with host time-zone notes and kickoff caveats.
May 20, 202610 min read
Featuredformat · 48-teams · round-of-32 · fifa · world-cup-2026
The New 48-Team Format Explained (with Live Simulator)
How twelve groups of four feed into a brand-new Round of 32, why FIFA added a knockout round instead of byes, and what it means for fans, teams and broadcasters.
May 20, 202612 min read
group-of-death · groups · fifa-rankings · world-cup-2026
Group of Death 2026: Which Group Is Toughest?
We score every World Cup 2026 group on FIFA-ranking strength, depth, recency and tactical pedigree. The top of the table is closer than you think.
May 20, 202612 min read
Featuredbracket · predictions · knockouts · world-cup-2026
Build Your World Cup 2026 Bracket: Predict Every Match
An interactive guide to the new Round of 32, the favourites, the easy half vs hard half, and the rookie mistakes that ruin every bracket.
May 20, 202610 min read
Featuredstadiums · venues · world-cup-2026 · host-cities · infrastructure
All 16 World Cup 2026 Stadiums, Ranked and Compared
From Estadio Azteca to MetLife, here is every World Cup 2026 stadium ranked by capacity, roof, climate, and matchday atmosphere — with the venues that will host the biggest games.
May 20, 202614 min read
world-cup · history · mexico-1986 · maradona · hosting
The 1986 Echo: How Mexico '86 Still Shapes WC26
Maradona's tournament. The 24-team format. Altitude and afternoon heat. The third time Mexico hosts — and the lessons 1986 wrote about what comes next.
May 20, 202611 min read
Featuredworld-cup · best-xi · history · legends · interactive
Build Your All-Time World Cup Best XI
Pelé or Maradona at the 10? Yashin or Buffon in goal? Cafu, Maldini, Beckenbauer and Moore behind them? Build the best XI in World Cup history — and argue with us about it.
May 20, 202616 min read
world-cup-2026 · captains · squads · profiles · tracker
The Armbands: Every Team's Captain (Confirmed, Expected, TBD)
Confirmed captains, expected armbands, and the dressing-room politics behind every one of the 48 teams' on-pitch leaders at WC26.
May 20, 202614 min read