With the 2026 World Cup kicking off Thursday, we鈥檙e sharing 26 fun facts and statistics from soccer鈥檚 biggest game. How many stats did you know?
1: Player from Arizona who has competed in a World Cup (Robbie Findley, 2010).
2: Teams (Brazil and Italy) that have two or more consecutive World Cup wins.
3: World Cup wins for Argentina, including the last World Cup in 2022 (plus wins in 1978 and 1986).
4: New countries making their debut in the 2026 World Cup (Cape Verde, Cura莽ao, Jordan and Uzbekistan).
5: World Cup wins for Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002).
6: Consecutive World Cup tournaments for Lionel Messi (Argentina), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) and Guillermo 鈥淢emo鈥 Ochoa (Mexico).
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Argentina's Lionel Messi during the warm-up before an international friendly match between Argentina and Honduras in College Station, Texas, on June 6.
7: Times Egypt has competed in the World Cup without recording a win.
8: Countries have won the World Cup title (Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, France, Uruguay, England and Spain).
9: Total World Cup medals for Brazil (five gold, two silver and two bronze).
10: 10-1 is the largest single-match margin of victory, set by Hungary in 1982.
11: Seconds is the fastest goal time at the World Cup (Hakan 艦眉k眉r for Turkey in 2002).
The outside of Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where the first match of the 2026 World Cup will take place. Mexico will take on South Africa on Thursday.
12: Goals is the highest number of goals scored in a single match (Austria vs. Switzerland in 1954).
13: Goals are the most goals scored in a single tournament, set by France鈥檚 Just Fontaine in 1958.
14: Yellow cards given to the Netherlands (nine) and Spain (five) in 2010, the most yellow cards given to both teams during a final match.
15: Dribbles by Nigeria鈥檚 Jay-Jay Okocha set the record for most successful dribbles in a World Cup match in 1994.
16: The all-time World Cup career goals record (Germany鈥檚 Miroslav Klose completed the record in 2014).
17: Years old was Pel茅鈥檚 age聽when he won the World Cup for Brazil in 1958, becoming the youngest player to do so.
18: Matches were played in the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.
19: Players from Manchester United were called up to play in this year鈥檚 World Cup, the most players from a single club in the tournament, per ESPN.
20: Nations that have medaled in the World Cup for a total of 66 medals.
21: Times Germany has appeared in the World Cup, just behind Brazil at 23 (including 2026).
22: Failed attempts to qualify for the World Cup by Luxembourg between 1934 and 2026.
23: World Cup tournaments Brazil has competed in, which is every tournament to date (including 2026).
24: The No. 24 jersey was introduced as a standard team number in the 2022 World Cup after FIFA expanded the number of squad members from 23 to up to 26.
25:聽Years that separate the oldest player (Scotland鈥檚 Craig Gordon, 43) and the youngest player (Mexico鈥檚 Gilbert Mora, 17) in this year鈥檚 World Cup.
26: World Cup matches played by Lionel Messi, the most overall by any player.
Contact Elvia Verdugo, the Star's community sports editor, at聽everdugo@tucson.com.聽A journalism and history graduate from the University of Arizona, she shares stories highlighting what makes Tucson and its community special.

