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world cup 2026

​Hu Hetao #13 of China reacts after Indonesia defeated China 1-0 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, on June 5, 2025.
Analysis

China is a global superpower. In football, not so much.

Corruption, political interference, match fixing, and a top-down approach to developing talent has stalled China’s dreams of World Cup success.

The green World Cup
Graphic Truth

The green World Cup

With the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals complete, we wondered what the tournament would look like if teams were competing on a different kind of playing field: clean energy.

US President Donald Trump holds a red penalty card that was presented to him by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington, D.C., USA, on August 28, 2018.
What We're Watching

FIFA rescinds US suspension after Trump call, Ali Khamenei’s funeral has a notable absentee, French court to rule on Le Pen’s eligibility

Donald Trump's phone call to Gianni Infantino has raised questions about FIFA's credibility.

​People search for casualties under the rubble of a collapsed building in Caracas following earthquakes in Venezuela, on June 25, 2026.
What We're Watching

Earthquake tragedy tests Delcy’s leadership, A strange Pride fixture at the World Cup, Iran strikes a ship in the Strait

The death toll from the Venezuelan earthquakes continues to rise, nearing 600 by Friday morning. But as is often the case with natural disasters of this scale, there will be a political dynamic too.

​Egyptian pounds, a gold bar and a necklace are seen during an interview with Mohamed Abdeen, an Egyptian jeweller, in Cairo, Egypt, on February 5, 2026.
What We're Watching

Countries and smugglers go for gold, Denmark’s center-left leader backs EU deportation centers, Humans assist AI for its soccer goals

Egypt said on Monday it arrested more than 200 people along its southern border – most of them foreigners – as part of a crackdown on illegal gold mining and smuggling in the gold-rich area.

A World Cup of many homelands
Graphic Truth

A World Cup of many homelands

There are 48 countries involved in this year’s World Cup, but that only tells part of the story of just how global the “global game” has become.

The most political World Cup ever?
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

The most political World Cup ever?

The World Cup is the world's biggest sporting event, and one of its most political. Simon Kuper explains what the tournament reveals about power, identity, and the state of the world.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Mexico City, Mexico, on June 10, 2026.
Analysis

Can a World Cup host score a political goal?

For governments, a home World Cup can be a political gift. But the benefits often prove short-lived. GZERO runs through three such cases in history.