Everything You Need to Know About the World Cup

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<p>The 2026 World Cup is about to descend on North America — spread across three countries, with 48 teams, and 104 games, and with billions of fans across the globe tuning in to watch the biggest sporting event on the planet.</p> <p>Today, Tariq Panja, global soccer correspondent for The New York Times, breaks down everything you need to know about this year’s tournament — the arrival of historic first-timers, like Curaçao, the aging legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are making their final appearances, and the eye-watering ticket prices that are driving fans to financial extremes just to book a seat.</p> <p><strong>On Today’s Episode:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/tariq-panja" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Tariq Panja</strong></a>, is a global sports correspondent for the New York Times.</p> <p><strong>Background Reading:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/16/sports/soccer/world-cup-migrant-workers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The World Cup’s Forgotten Team</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/06/world/americas/2026-world-cup-ticket-prices-argentina.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">World Cup or Bust: Going Into Debt, Sleeping 10 to a Room and Layovers for Days</a></p> <p>Photo credit: Hannah Mckay/Reuters. </p> <p><p>Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher">https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher</a>. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.</p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>