in this issue
All World Cups are unique, from ambition to bid to execution. The first three-game series was expanded to 48 teams, 1 and 04 games, which is perfect for a host country known as the largest and best in the Chinese Super League. Definitely the biggest World Cup. But the best? Apparently not.
Football memories can only be cherished in a handful of games because they are inevitably fragmented into 23 minutes of game quality by ad-filled, motivation-destroying water breaks.
However, in football, there are no dreams greater than playing in and winning the World Cup. The ultimate achievement belongs to a very few, as Didier Deschamps said to his French champions in 2018: “No matter what profession you are in now, you will always be a world champion and no one can take that away from you.”
In this issue world footballyou’ll find the complete story of the 2026 World Cup – every match, every goal, every player, team and tactical analysis.
content
2026 World Cup Review
4 in pictures
10 Kyle Radnich: Tournament overview
13 goals we’d like to see again
14 Tim Vickery: Lionel Messi’s World Cup Story
18 tournament players
20 Team-by-team analysis
74 Henry Winter: Jude Bellingham – England’s next captain
Plus… 5 things we learned
76 Jonathan Wilson: Deschamps abandoned the principles that betrayed him
77 World Cup Numbers
World Cup 2026: Full transcript
group stage
Group A 34 people
36 people in Group B
38 people in Group C
Group D 40 people
42 people in Group E
Group F44
Group G46
48 people in Group H
50 people in the first group
Group J52
54 K group
No. 56 in Group L
knockout stage
58 Top 32
66 first round 6
70 Quarterfinals
72 semi-finals
73 Third place play-off
73 finals
Global service
80 South America Libertadores/South America
82 North America League Cup
84 Oceania Oceania Champions League
86 obituaries
87 Wales Europe Euro U19
88-89 Transfers/Summer Transfers
96 Plus results, points table, schedule