⚽ 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, and a full 48-team 2026 pre-tournament snapshot.
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 upcoming 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 FIFA rankings, ELO ratings, and qualifying form
Key Entities
- 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
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 & Warehouse Schema
All tables reside in the SPORTS.FIFA_2026 schema in Snowflake. Data is sourced from multiple providers:
| Source | Used For |
|---|
| Wikipedia (FIFA WC pages) | Match results, squad lists, tournament stats |
| World Football Elo Ratings (eloratings.net) | Pre-1993 team strength proxy + current ELO |
| FIFA Official Rankings (April 2026) | Current team strength (primary indicator) |
| Transfermarkt methodology | Squad market values (estimates for pre-2002) |
| ESPN / Yahoo Sports | 2026 group draw confirmation |
ELO vs FIFA Rankings: FIFA rankings began in 1993 — they are unavailable for pre-1993 tournaments. ELO ratings go back to the 1870s and serve as a strength proxy for historical analysis. For 2026 analysis, FIFA rankings are the primary signal; ELO is secondary context.
All 17 Tables
Cover all competitions — World Cups, friendlies, continental tournaments, qualifiers. Not limited to World Cup data.
| Table | Description | Rows |
|---|
RESULTS | One row per international match with scores, venue, tournament context. Spans 1872–2026. | ~49,477 |
GOALSCORERS | One row per goal — scorer, minute, penalty/own-goal flags. Spans 1916–2026. | ~47,663 |
SHOOTOUTS | One row per penalty shootout — teams and winner. Spans 1967–2026. | ~678 |
FORMER_NAMES | Maps historical/alternate team names to current canonical names. Static reference. | 46 |
WC_ Historical Tables (All World Cups 1930–2022)
Cross-tournament comparisons, all-time records, and historical World Cup analysis.
| Table | Description | Rows |
|---|
WC_TOURNAMENTS | One row per World Cup edition — host, champion, goals, attendance, format era. | 22 |
WC_TEAM_APPEARANCES | One row per team per WC year — results, goals, ELO, stage reached. | ~193 |
WC_TEAM_ALLTIME_STATS | All-time WC aggregate stats per team — wins, goals, titles, best finish. | 43 |
WC_MATCHES_HISTORICAL | Curated key WC matches (finals, semis, selected) with pre-match ELO. | 117 |
WC_HEAD_TO_HEAD | Pre-aggregated head-to-head WC records for 19 prominent teams. | ~61 |
WC_TOP_SCORES_BY_EDITION | Top 3 goal scorers per WC edition with goals, assists, position. | ~71 |
WC_2026_ Tables (2026 Tournament Only)
Pre-tournament snapshot for the upcoming 48-team expanded format.
| Table | Description | Rows |
|---|
WC_2026_GROUPS | 48 teams × 12 groups. Rankings, titles, key player, squad value. | 48 |
WC_2026_FIXTURES | Full 104-match schedule — group stage + knockouts, kickoff UTC, stadium, city. | 104 |
WC_2026_PREDICTION_FEATURES | Prediction model features — rankings, form, qualifying stats, win probability. | 48 |
WC_2026_GROUP_DIFFICULTY | Group difficulty scores — opponent ELO, qualification probability, difficulty labels. | 48 |
WC_2026_COACHES | Head coach profiles — nationality, age, style, WC experience, achievements. | 48 |
WC_2026_QUALIFYING_SUMMARY | Qualifying campaign stats — goals, points, W/D/L, route, key results. | ~50 |
WC_2026_TEAMS_SNAPSHOT | Team reference — confederation, ranking, appearances, titles, qualification method. | ~50 |
Key Metrics
Scoring Metrics
| Metric | Description |
|---|
| Total Goals | Count of all goals scored. Source: GOALSCORERS. Filter for WC-only via RESULTS join. |
| Goals Per Match | AVG(HOME_SCORE + AWAY_SCORE). Typical WC average: ~2.5 goals/match. |
| Penalty Goals | COUNT(*) WHERE PENALTY = TRUE. ~7% of all goals. Excludes shootout goals. |
| Own Goals | COUNT(*) WHERE OWN_GOAL = TRUE. ~2% of all goals. TEAM = benefiting team. |
| Metric | Description |
|---|
| Win Rate | Wins / Total matches × 100. Unpivot RESULTS into per-team rows. |
| Goal Difference | Goals scored − goals conceded. FIFA group-stage tiebreaker #4. |
| Clean Sheets | Matches where team conceded 0 goals. Defensive solidity measure. |
| Goals Scored / Conceded | Team-level goal tallies from RESULTS (home + away combined). |
2026 Prediction Metrics
| Metric | Description |
|---|
| Win Probability | Model-predicted % of winning WC 2026. Range: 0.1% – 14.2% (France). Sums to ~132.5%. |
| Squad Market Value | Total squad value (EUR millions). Range: €35M (Curaçao) – €1,350M (France). |
| Qualification Probability | Probability of advancing past group stage (0–100%). From GROUP_DIFFICULTY table. |
| Recent Form | Points from last 10 intl matches (3/win, 1/draw). Range: 12–24. |
Dimensions & Analytical Notes
Goal Type
Classifies goals into 3 mutually exclusive categories:
- Open Play (~91%) — standard goals
- Penalty (~7%) — from the penalty spot
- Own Goal (~2%) — scored into own net
CASE
WHEN OWN_GOAL = TRUE THEN 'Own Goal'
WHEN PENALTY = TRUE THEN 'Penalty'
ELSE 'Open Play'
END
Match Era
Segments matches by historical era:
- WC2026 Era — 2026+
- Post-Pandemic — 2020–2025
- Modern — 2010–2019
- Post-Cold War — 1990–2009
- Classic — 1970–1989
- Early — pre-1970
Match Stage (WC 2026)
7 stages in the 2026 fixture schedule:
| Stage | Matches |
|---|
group-stage | 72 |
round-of-32 | 16 |
round-of-16 | 8 |
quarter-finals | 4 |
semi-finals | 2 |
third-place | 1 |
final | 1 |
Host Cities (16)
Fixtures by city (top venues):
- Dallas (9) — AT&T Stadium
- Los Angeles (8) — SoFi Stadium
- Atlanta (8) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- New York (8) — MetLife Stadium (Final)
- Boston, Miami, Houston, Vancouver (7 each)
- + 8 more cities (4–6 fixtures each)
Key Rules & Conventions
1. Country Name Normalization
Always use FORMER_NAMES to map historical team names to current canonical names. Never use CASE WHEN for name mapping — always LEFT JOIN.
-- Normalize team names via join
COALESCE(fn_home.CURRENT_NAME, r.HOME_TEAM) AS HOME_TEAM_NORMALIZED
LEFT JOIN SPORTS.FIFA_2026.FORMER_NAMES fn_home
ON r.HOME_TEAM = fn_home.FORMER_NAME
AND (r.DATE BETWEEN fn_home.DATE_FROM AND fn_home.DATE_TO
OR fn_home.DATE_FROM IS NULL)
2. FIFA World Cup Filter
RESULTS and GOALSCORERS contain all competitions. To scope to World Cup only:
-- RESULTS: direct filter
WHERE TOURNAMENT = 'FIFA World Cup'
-- GOALSCORERS: requires join (no TOURNAMENT column)
JOIN SPORTS.FIFA_2026.RESULTS r
ON g.DATE = r.DATE AND g.HOME_TEAM = r.HOME_TEAM AND g.AWAY_TEAM = r.AWAY_TEAM
WHERE r.TOURNAMENT = 'FIFA World Cup'
Do NOT use ILIKE '%World Cup%' — this leaks 8,771+ qualification rows.
3. Completed Matches Filter
RESULTS contains ~52 unplayed future 2026 WC fixtures with NULL scores. Always filter:
WHERE HOME_SCORE IS NOT NULL AND AWAY_SCORE IS NOT NULL
4. Group Stage Validation
Every group must have exactly 4 teams. 12 groups × 4 = 48 teams. Validate:
SELECT GROUP_NAME, COUNT(*) AS team_count
FROM WC_2026_GROUPS
GROUP BY GROUP_NAME
HAVING COUNT(*) != 4; -- Should return 0 rows
5. Prediction Strength Signals (Priority Order)
- FIFA World Ranking (
FIFA_RANK_APR2026) — primary strength indicator
- Recent form (
RECENT_FORM_PTS_LAST10) — last 10 match results
- Qualifying campaign stats (
QUALIFYING_GF/GA/PTS) — competitive performance
- ELO ratings — background context only; not primary predictor
6. WC 2026 Tiebreaker Order
When teams are equal on points in a group:
- Head-to-head points between tied teams
- Head-to-head goal difference
- Head-to-head goals scored
- Overall goal difference (all group matches)
- Overall goals scored (all group matches)
- Team conduct score (fewest cards)
- FIFA ranking (final fallback)
7. WC_2026_TEAMS_SNAPSHOT Deduplication
Morocco and Senegal have duplicate rows. Always filter:
WHERE NOTES != 'See above' OR NOTES IS NULL
Common Analyses
| Question Type | Primary Tables | Key Filters / Notes |
|---|
| WC 2026 group compositions | WC_2026_GROUPS | ORDER BY GROUP_NAME, FIFA_RANK_APR2026 |
| 2026 match schedule / fixtures | WC_2026_FIXTURES | STAGE filter for group vs knockout |
| Team strength / predictions | WC_2026_PREDICTION_FEATURES | Win prob sums to ~132.5%, not 100% |
| Group difficulty rankings | WC_2026_GROUP_DIFFICULTY | Higher DIFFICULTY_INDEX = easier path for team |
| Coach profiles / tactics | WC_2026_COACHES | COACHING_STYLE is free-text (47 distinct values) |
| Qualifying campaign analysis | WC_2026_QUALIFYING_SUMMARY | Exclude QUALIFIED_AS = ‘Playoff Finalist’ |
| Historical WC match results | RESULTS | WHERE TOURNAMENT = ‘FIFA World Cup’ |
| All-time WC team records | WC_TEAM_ALLTIME_STATS | Pre-aggregated; 43 teams through 2022 |
| Head-to-head WC history | WC_HEAD_TO_HEAD | Check both orderings (A vs B and B vs A) |
| Top scorers by edition | WC_TOP_SCORES_BY_EDITION | Covers 1930–2022; no 2026 data yet |
| Goal scorers (all competitions) | GOALSCORERS | Filter SCORER IS NOT NULL AND SCORER != ‘None’ |
| Penalty shootout history | SHOOTOUTS | 678 shootouts from 1967 to present |
| Tournament summaries | WC_TOURNAMENTS | 22 editions; FORMAT_ERA classifies structure |
Known Limitations & Data Quality
Important data quality notes to keep in mind:
- WC_MATCHES_HISTORICAL is curated, not complete — 117 key matches (finals, semis, selected); for full WC match coverage use
RESULTS WHERE TOURNAMENT = 'FIFA World Cup' (~1,036 matches)
- Win probabilities sum to ~132.5% — not a calibrated probability distribution; due to rounding across 48 teams
- WC_2026_TEAMS_SNAPSHOT has duplicates — Morocco and Senegal each appear twice; filter with
WHERE NOTES != 'See above' OR NOTES IS NULL
- GOALSCORERS has ~48 rows with NULL/None scorer — filter for scorer-level analysis
- GOALSCORERS MINUTE is NULL for ~256 rows — older historical matches lacking minute-level data
- Squad market values pre-2002 are estimates — based on historical equivalence methodology
- WC_HEAD_TO_HEAD is not fully symmetric — some pairings only appear in one direction; check both orderings
- WC_HEAD_TO_HEAD covers only 19 curated teams — historically prominent nations only
- QUALIFYING_SUMMARY scope mismatch — W/D/L columns cover a broader campaign than QUALIFYING_PLAYED (group-stage only for UEFA); don’t re-derive QUALIFYING_PTS from W/D/L
- RESULTS contains ~52 unplayed future fixtures — always filter
HOME_SCORE IS NOT NULL for completed matches
- 2 duplicate rows in RESULTS — Gibraltar vs Cayman Islands on 2026-06-06 (differ only in CITY)
- BEST_FINISH_ENCODED inconsistency — England has WC_TITLES=1 but BEST_FINISH_ENCODED=6 (should be 7)
Schema: SPORTS.FIFA_2026 (Snowflake) | Data through: Active — updated as 2026 WC matches are played (June–July 2026) | Scope: Men’s full internationals only
