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.
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.
On Today’s Episode:
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/tariq-panja" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tariq Panja</a>, is a global sports correspondent for the New York Times.
Background Reading:
<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>
<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>
Photo credit: Hannah Mckay/Reuters. 
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. 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.

Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

Everything You Need to Know About the World Cup

The Daily

AI Chapters

AI Insights

Reviews