⚽ FIFA World Cup 2026 Dataset

Comprehensive historical & predictive data for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — covering all 22 editions (1930–2022), 49,000+ international matches, live tournament data with 4× daily refresh, and betting odds from multiple US bookmakers.

Overview & Business Goals

This is a public sandbox dataset for individuals exploring the Delphina analytics product. It covers international men’s football (soccer) with a focus on the FIFA World Cup — both historical (1930–2022) and the live 2026 edition.

Business Goals

Support fans asking about World Cup history, team records, and match results
Enable 2026 tournament research — groups, predictions, qualifying stats, coaches
Provide historical depth for cross-tournament comparisons and all-time records
Support match predictions using betting odds, FIFA rankings, ELO ratings, and qualifying form
Track live tournament performance via detailed match statistics and editorial recaps

Key Entities

Entity	Volume	What’s Included
Matches	49,000+	International results with scores, venue, and tournament context
Goals	47,600+	Individual goal events with scorer, minute, and type (penalty/own goal)
Teams	48	Qualified nations for 2026 with rankings, squad values, and qualifying stats
Tournaments	22	World Cup editions (1930–2022) with champions, top scorers, and formats
Coaches	48	Head coaches with tactical profiles, career background, and WC experience
Shootouts	678	Penalty shootout records from 1967 to present
Betting Odds	Daily	Bookmaker odds for match outcomes and outright tournament winner
Match Stats	Per match	Possession, shots, passes, tackles for every 2026 WC match

Example Questions You Can Ask

Market vs Model Disagreements

Which upcoming matches have the biggest gap between the pre-tournament model’s win probability and current betting market odds?
Which teams have seen their outright winner odds move the most since the tournament started — and does their actual match performance justify it?
Are there any matches where the bookmaker spread disagrees with what the ELO ratings would predict?

Performance Analytics

Which teams are outperforming their pre-tournament qualification probability — and which are underperforming relative to group difficulty?
Compare possession dominance vs actual results: are high-possession teams converting into wins this tournament?
Which group has the tightest goal difference spread heading into the final matchday — and what are the tiebreaker scenarios?
Show me teams whose shot conversion rate (goals / shots on target) is significantly above or below tournament average.

Historical Patterns

How does the 2026 goals-per-match rate compare to every previous World Cup edition? Is the expanded format producing more or fewer goals?
Which teams have historically overperformed their FIFA ranking at World Cups (reached further than seeding would suggest)?
Are debut teams in 2026 performing better or worse than debut teams have historically in their first World Cup?
Which coaches with prior WC experience are winning at a higher rate this tournament vs their career WC record?

Predictions & Simulations

Based on current group standings and remaining fixtures, what’s the probability of each third-place team qualifying for the Round of 32?
If we simulate the bracket 10,000 times from the current state, which teams have the easiest knockout path to the Final?
Which teams’ qualifying campaign (GF/GA/form) was most predictive of their actual 2026 group stage performance?

Head-to-Head & Context

For upcoming knockout matchups, what’s the all-time World Cup head-to-head record between the two teams — and how do their current ELO ratings compare to their historical meetings?
Which confederation is outperforming its historical World Cup win rate this tournament?

2026 Tournament Quick Facts

Detail	Info
Dates	June 11 – July 19, 2026
Hosts	United States, Canada, Mexico (tri-hosted)
Teams	48 (first expanded format — previously 32)
Groups	12 groups (A–L) of 4 teams each
Total Matches	104
Format	Group stage → Round of 32 → Round of 16 → QF → SF → Final
Advancement	Top 2 per group (24) + 8 best third-place teams → 32 in knockout
Final Venue	MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Opening Match	Mexico vs South Africa, Estadio Azteca
Defending Champion	Argentina
Host Cities	16 cities across 3 countries (11 USA, 2 Canada, 3 Mexico)
Debut Teams	Curaçao, Cape Verde, Uzbekistan, Jordan

Data Sources & Refresh

Live data (match results, stats, betting odds) refreshes 4 times daily at noon, 4 PM, 8 PM, and midnight PST. All completed match data through yesterday is always available.

Source	Covers	Refresh
The Odds API	Live betting odds — outright winner + match markets	4× daily
ESPN	Match results, goals, cards, shootouts, detailed match stats, post-match recaps	4× daily
Kaggle: International Football Results	Historical match archive (1872–2025)	One-time load
Kaggle: Ultimate FIFA WC Dataset	Groups, predictions, historical WC stats, coaches	One-time load
FIFA official rankings (April 2026)	Current team rankings	Static snapshot
Transfermarkt	Squad market values	Static snapshot

What’s in the Dataset

Live Match Data
2026 Match Analytics
Betting Odds
2026 Pre-Tournament
Historical World Cup

Updated 4× daily as matches are played. Covers all international football, not just World Cup — but easily filtered to WC only.

Data	What’s Included
Match Results	Every international match since 1872. Scores, tournament type, venue, neutral flag. ~49,000+ matches.
Goal Scorers	Every goal since 1916. Scorer name, minute, penalty/own goal flags. ~47,600+ goals.
Shootouts	All penalty shootout outcomes since 1967. Winner, teams involved. ~678 records.
Cards	Red cards and second yellows. Player, team, minute.
Team Name History	Maps old team names (e.g., “Zaire” → “DR Congo”, “Soviet Union” → “Russia”) for historical queries.

Grows as the tournament progresses. WC 2026 matches only.

Data	What’s Included
Match Stats	Per-team stats for every completed match: possession %, shots (total + on target), passes (total + accurate), tackles, interceptions, clearances, crosses, long balls, corners, fouls, offsides, saves.
Match Recaps	ESPN editorial post-match articles: headline, full story, byline.

Updated 4× daily from multiple US bookmakers (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Bovada, etc.).

Data	What’s Included
Match Odds	Win/draw/loss probabilities (moneyline), point spreads (Asian handicap), over/under totals for each match. Available from June 12, 2026.
Outright Winner	Tournament winner probabilities per team, tracked daily to show how odds shift. Available from June 20, 2026.

Static reference data — set before the tournament began.

Data	What’s Included
Fixtures	Full 104-match schedule with dates, kickoff times, stadiums, stages, group assignments.
Groups	All 48 teams with group assignment, FIFA rank, ELO rating, squad market value, WC history, key player.
Team Profiles	Confederation, qualification method, debut status, host nation flags.
Predictions	ML model features: rankings, recent form, squad age/value, coach experience, pre-tournament win probability.
Group Difficulty	Opponent strength metrics, difficulty index, estimated qualification probability per team.
Qualifying Stats	Goals scored/conceded, points, W/D/L record, win rate from each team’s qualifying campaign.
Coaches	Manager nationality, age, tactical style, WC coaching experience, career achievements.

All-time World Cup data across 22 editions (1930–2022).

Data	What’s Included
Tournament Summary	Each WC edition: host, champion, runner-up, top scorer, goals/match, average attendance, format era.
Team All-Time Stats	Cumulative WC record per nation: appearances, W/D/L, total goals, win rate, best finish, titles.
Team Appearances	Per-team per-tournament: stage reached, W/D/L, goals, ELO rating, group assignment.
Key Matches	117 curated historical matches (finals, semis, notable knockouts) with pre-match ELO ratings.
Head-to-Head	WC-specific H2H records between 19 historically prominent nations.
Top Scorers by Edition	Top 3 scorers per WC with goals, assists, position, and notes.

Tournament Format

Group Stage

48 teams in 12 groups of 4. Each team plays 3 matches (round-robin). 72 total group matches.

Advancement

Top 2 per group (24 teams) + 8 best third-place teams = 32 teams advance to knockouts.

Knockout Rounds

Round of 32 → Round of 16 → Quarter-Finals → Semi-Finals → Third-Place → Final.

Points & Rules

Win: 3 points | Draw: 1 point | Loss: 0 points
Extra time + penalties in knockout stages only (no golden goal)
Last two group matches kick off simultaneously
5 substitutes allowed per team (6 in extra time)

Group Stage Tiebreakers

Head-to-Head Record

Points, goal difference, then goals scored — only in matches between the tied teams.

Overall Record

Goal difference, then goals scored across all group matches.

Conduct Score

Fewer accumulated card deductions (yellow = -1, direct red = -4, etc.).

FIFA Ranking

Most recent published FIFA World Ranking as final tiebreaker.

Best Third-Place Ranking

The 8 best third-placed teams (out of 12) are compared across groups using: points → goal difference → goals scored → conduct score → FIFA ranking. No head-to-head since teams are from different groups.

Prediction Methodology

Betting market odds are the most reliable predictor of match outcomes. They aggregate all available information (form, injuries, tactics, weather) and are updated multiple times daily.

Signal Priority

Priority	Signal	Source
1 (Best)	Betting market odds	BETTING_ODDS_MATCH — implied probabilities from bookmakers
2	FIFA World Ranking	April 2026 official rankings (1 = France, 88 = New Zealand)
3	Recent form	Last 10 match results + actual tournament performance stats
4	Qualifying campaign	Goals scored/conceded, points earned during qualifiers
5	ELO ratings	Background context — not primary predictor

Betting Market Types

Market	What It Predicts
Moneyline (H2H)	Who wins the match (home / draw / away)
Spreads	Margin of victory (e.g., Team A to win by 2+ goals)
Totals	Over/under on combined goals scored

Pre-Tournament Model

A static ML model generated win probabilities before the tournament started. Top picks: France (14.2%), followed by Brazil, Argentina, England, Germany, and Spain (5%+each).

Pre-tournament model probabilities become stale once live results are available. Always prefer current betting odds for forward-looking predictions.

Tournament Rules

Substitutions

5 substitutes allowed per team (from 15 named subs)
Maximum 3 substitution windows per half (half-time doesn’t count)
+1 additional sub in extra time (6th total) with +1 window
Concussion substitution does not count toward limits

Card Suspensions

2 yellows in 2 different matches → automatic 1-match ban
Direct red → automatic 1-match ban + possible further sanctions
Yellow card reset after group stage (all accumulated yellows cleared)
Second reset after quarter-finals (cannot be banned from SF/Final on accumulated yellows)

Extra Time & Penalties

2 × 15 minutes extra time if tied after 90 minutes
Penalty shootout if still tied after extra time
5-minute break before extra time begins
Knockout stage only — group matches can end in a draw

Awards

Golden Boot: Top scorer (tiebreak: most assists → fewer minutes played)
Golden Ball: Best player (selected by FIFA Technical Study Group)
Golden Glove: Best goalkeeper
Young Player Award: Best player born on/after January 1, 2005

Confederation Breakdown (48 Teams)

Confederation	Count	Teams
UEFA	16	France, Spain, Germany, England, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Croatia, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Türkiye, Serbia, Scotland, Wales
CAF	12	Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Egypt, Cameroon, South Africa, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Mali, DR Congo, Cape Verde, Tanzania
AFC	9	Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Iraq
CONMEBOL	6	Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
CONCACAF	6	USA, Mexico, Canada, Panama, Jamaica, Haiti
OFC	1	New Zealand

Known Limitations

Keep these in mind when interpreting results.

Limitation	Impact
Pre-tournament win probabilities sum to ~132.5%	Not calibrated — use betting odds for current predictions instead
Historical squad market values (pre-2002) are estimates	Directional only, not precise
Cards data tracks only red cards and second yellows	First-time standalone yellows not individually recorded (but yellow counts per match are in Match Stats)
Some historical goals (~256) have no recorded minute	Older matches with incomplete data
Head-to-head table covers only 19 prominent nations	Use full match results for teams not in the curated H2H set

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FIFA World Cup 2026

⚽ FIFA World Cup 2026 Dataset

Overview & Business Goals

Business Goals

Key Entities

Example Questions You Can Ask

2026 Tournament Quick Facts

Data Sources & Refresh

What’s in the Dataset

Tournament Format

Group Stage

Advancement

Knockout Rounds

Points & Rules

Group Stage Tiebreakers

Best Third-Place Ranking

Prediction Methodology

Signal Priority

Betting Market Types

Pre-Tournament Model

Tournament Rules

Confederation Breakdown (48 Teams)

Known Limitations

​⚽ FIFA World Cup 2026 Dataset

​Overview & Business Goals

​Business Goals

​Key Entities

​Example Questions You Can Ask

​2026 Tournament Quick Facts

​Data Sources & Refresh

​What’s in the Dataset

​Tournament Format

Group Stage

Advancement

Knockout Rounds

​Points & Rules

​Group Stage Tiebreakers

​Best Third-Place Ranking

​Prediction Methodology

​Signal Priority

​Betting Market Types

​Pre-Tournament Model

​Tournament Rules

​Confederation Breakdown (48 Teams)

​Known Limitations

⚽ FIFA World Cup 2026 Dataset

Overview & Business Goals

Business Goals

Key Entities

Example Questions You Can Ask

2026 Tournament Quick Facts

Data Sources & Refresh

What’s in the Dataset

Tournament Format

Points & Rules

Group Stage Tiebreakers

Best Third-Place Ranking

Prediction Methodology

Signal Priority

Betting Market Types

Pre-Tournament Model

Tournament Rules

Confederation Breakdown (48 Teams)

Known Limitations