In the entire history of the FIFA World Cup, only two nations have ever successfully defended their title. Italy won back-to-back in 1934 and 1938. Brazil retained the trophy in 1962. That is it. Sixty-four years have passed since anyone managed it. And in the modern era, the failure of defending champions has not just […]
Read More
Sixteen cities. Three countries. One tournament. The 2026 football world cup will be played across a wider, more varied collection of venues than any edition in history — from a cathedral that first hosted a World Cup in 1970 to a $5.5 billion architectural statement that opened in 2020. Before the first ball is kicked, […]
Read More
The 2026 football World Cup is almost upon us. The squads are set, the fixtures are confirmed, and the world is getting ready to watch. But before we get swept up in the tournament itself, there are some qualifying stories worth knowing — journeys so dramatic, so against the odds, that just getting here is […]
Read More
What do a shoebox, a heroic dog named Pickles, and 6 kilograms of solid gold have in common? They are all part of the extraordinary, improbable history of the most coveted object in football — the FIFA World Cup trophy. The trophy has been smuggled, stolen twice, hidden under a bed during wartime, sniffed out […]
Read More
