> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.delphina.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# FIFA World Cup 2026
> 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.
# ⚽ 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
* 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?
* 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.
* 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?
* 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?
* 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](https://the-odds-api.com/) | 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](https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/martj42/international-football-results-from-1872-to-2017) | Historical match archive (1872–2025) | One-time load |
| [Kaggle: Ultimate FIFA WC Dataset](https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/nawfeelrahman1124444/the-ultimate-fifa-world-cup-dataset-1930-to-2026) | 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
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
48 teams in 12 groups of 4. Each team plays 3 matches (round-robin). 72 total group matches.
Top 2 per group (24 teams) + 8 best third-place teams = 32 teams advance to knockouts.
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
Points, goal difference, then goals scored — only in matches between the tied teams.
Goal difference, then goals scored across all group matches.
Fewer accumulated card deductions (yellow = -1, direct red = -4, etc.).
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
* **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
* 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)
* 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
* **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 |