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Surprising! The Top 10 Cold Facts about this World Cup

The 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup group stage is in full swing, with 48 teams fiercely competing for qualification. Nearly a century has passed since the first World Cup was founded in 1930, and many interesting anecdotes have emerged throughout its history. Journalists have compiled the top 10 cold facts about this World Cup, and many of these "facts" are truly surprising.

　　(1) Brazil is the only "perpetual participant" in the World Cup

　　Since the first World Cup in 1930, 18 countries have hosted 22 tournaments. Many traditional football powerhouses have experienced absences, such as Italy, which missed nearly three consecutive World Cups, the Netherlands, which missed the two tournaments after 2010, and even strong teams like Argentina have had records of absence. But Brazil has set an unmatched record—they have participated in every single World Cup, never missing out, and have won five World Cup trophies, earning the nickname "Five-Star Brazil."

Truly surprising! The Top 10 Cold Facts about this World Cup

　　Brazil team taking a group photo before the first match of this World Cup. Image source: Xinhua News Agency

　　(2) Mexico "scores a hat-trick"

　　The 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup is jointly hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Mexico is hosting the World Cup for the third time after 1970 and 1986, becoming the first country to host the men's World Cup three times. The Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, which hosted the opening match of this tournament, also becomes the first venue to host three World Cup tournaments, continuing the legendary history of the World Cup.

　　(3) The World Cup participant with the smallest population

　　This World Cup features a special newcomer—Curaçao. The country has the smallest population among participating nations, with about 180k people. Additionally, Curaçao is the smallest country in terms of land area among World Cup participants, covering only 444 square kilometers, less than 1/50,000 of the former Soviet Union that has participated in the World Cup.

　　(4) The altitude difference of over 2,000 meters between World Cup venues

　　This World Cup has 16 venues across three host countries, with 11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada. The altitude difference among these venues is a record in World Cup history: from cities near sea level like Miami and Vancouver to Mexico City at 2,240 meters above sea level, with a difference exceeding 2,000 meters.

　　(5) The number 1 jersey in the World Cup must belong to the goalkeeper

　　The World Cup has strict and clear regulations regarding player jersey numbers, which are not arbitrary. According to FIFA rules, players' jersey numbers in the World Cup can only be between 1 and 23, and no other numbers are allowed. This regulation has been officially enforced since the 1994 World Cup. More strictly, the number 1 jersey must be worn by the team's goalkeeper, which is the only mandatory number assignment rule, designed to allow referees, players, and fans to quickly identify the goalkeeper.

　　(6) The first double landlocked country to qualify for the World Cup

　　Uzbekistan, which qualified for this World Cup, made history by becoming the first Central Asian country to qualify for the World Cup and the first double landlocked country to appear in the tournament. A double landlocked country is one entirely surrounded by other landlocked countries; only Uzbekistan and Liechtenstein are such examples worldwide.

　　(7) More people doesn't necessarily mean "more strength"

　　Among the 48 teams in this World Cup, the United States and Brazil are the only two countries among the top 10 most populous nations to participate. The other eight large-population countries—India, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, and Ethiopia—did not qualify. Interestingly, Australia is the country with the lowest population density among the participating nations, only slightly higher than Mongolia, which has never qualified for the World Cup.

　　(8) Legendary players writing immortal legends

　　Players who have participated in five World Cups are extremely rare, but in this tournament, three legendary veterans—Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mexico's legendary goalkeeper Ochoa—are all participating for the sixth time. This is the first time in World Cup history that six-time veterans have appeared. From 2006 to 2026, spanning a full 20-year professional career, these veteran players are challenging the passage of time.

　　(9) Crossing the North American continent with extreme transfers

　　This World Cup, hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, is spread across four time zones, with a regional span of about 4,300 kilometers east to west and about 4,000 kilometers north to south. The teams' travel distances are enormous, with some teams' cumulative flight mileage during the group stage possibly exceeding 10k kilometers.

　　(10) Recalling the past, echoes will follow

　　Many teams participating in this World Cup are returning after many years. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, abbreviated as Congo (Kinshasa), is returning to the World Cup after 52 years, making it one of the longest intervals for a team returning, along with Haiti. Additionally, Iraq is returning after 40 years, Scotland, Norway, and Austria after 28 years, Turkey after 24 years, the Czech Republic after 20 years, and Paraguay and New Zealand after 16 years.