Aim
To learn about the history and purpose of the FIFA World Cup and about the 2026 men’s tournament, and to consider the impact it has on the world and the countries where it is held.
The video
For the first time, the men’s FIFA World Cup - the biggest football tournament in the world, will be hosted in three countries: The United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The World Cup is going to be exciting in America. It’s going to be an incredible occasion.
Every four years, the men’s tournament creates a sense of national pride and belonging…
A record 48 teams will compete, more than ever before, for the famous trophy.
In the early 1900s, professional footballers couldn’t play in the Olympics, it was only for amateur athletes, so FIFA created a new tournament where the best players could compete.
The very first World Cup took place in 1930, in Uruguay, South America.
13 teams took part, and the hosts, lifted the very first trophy.
In 1946, the original World Cup trophy became known as the Jules Rimet Trophy after the then FIFA President.
And in 1966, England lifted that trophy in their first and only win.
Then, in 1974, the World Cup got the trophy design we still use today.
Over the years, legends have been born on the World Cup stage.
Brazil’s Pelé became a global icon, inspiring millions, and today, Brazil holds the record with five World Cup victories.
Argentina’s Diego Maradona led his country to glory in 1986 with some of the most unforgettable moments in football history.
And in 2022, Argentina lifted the trophy once again.
Who will take the 2026 crown?
From huge stadiums to city streets, people are getting excited for kick-off.
In 2022, an estimated 5 billion people engaged with the World Cup media in some way.
In 2026, kick-off times for audiences will depend where they live - some people have to watch matches in the middle of the night!
But, the World Cup isn’t just about football, it's about people. It brings jobs, tourism, opportunities and responsibilities to the cities that host it.
In recent years, there’s also been more attention on how stadiums are built and the health and wellbeing of the workers involved.
Many believe the World Cup should only be hosted in countries that respect human rights and keep workers safe.
Others believe football is a global sport and that countries around the world should have the opportunity to host it.
While stadium and tournament preparations are vital; players, coaches, ground staff, referees and physiotherapists are all working hard behind the scenes.
Supporters count down the days and teams train hard!
And it all starts with the basics - just like the warm-up exercises you might do in PE at school.
From skipping and stretching to passing drills, they train every day to stay at the top of their game.
Even the biggest stars started small.
When Lionel Messi was a child in Argentina, some people said he was too small to play professionally.
But through practice and resilience, he became one of the greatest players of all time.
In 2026 the world comes together for a tournament that represents sportsmanship, friendship, culture, fairness and healthy competition.
The World Cup reminds us that football’s greatest goal is unity and mutual respect, and every nation has a part to play.
Video summary
The 2026 Men’s World Cup is being held for the first time across three countries – the United States of America (USA), Mexico and Canada.
This video explores the following:
- The countries and stadiums involved in the 2026 tournament
- The history of the competition and interesting stories
- Some of the famous players over the years
- The infrastructure and job creation around the competition
- Some of the concerns linked to the hosting countries
- The positive themes and ideas linked to competition football.
Additional Information:
- The next Women’s World Cup will be held in 2027 in Brazil.
- In 2023, the Women’s World Cup took place in Australia, the final was between England and Spain. Spain were the winners.
Video questions
Ask students if they know where the 2026 Men’s World Cup is being held
Point out the USA, Mexico and Canada on a world map
Discuss with students the obvious questions about logistics and practicalities if such a large sporting competition is being run across three countries
Ask students what they know about the Men’s World Cup competition, e.g. finals run every four years and countries need to qualify for it. Students may not be aware that England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland don’t qualify for every competition.
Key terminology
Introduce key terminology including:
- Economic impact: the financial effect on a person or place of a project
- Tourism: visitors travelling to places for personal or business reasons
- Human rights: the basic rights and freedoms that every person has regardless of who they are
- Workers’ rights: the right of any person to be treated fairly and with respect in a place of work
- Infrastructure: the basic service and systems that allow any country to run smoothly
- Health and well-being: includes a person’s mental and emotional health, physical health and ability to live a healthy lifestyle
- Sportsmanship: showing fairness, respect and following the rules of any game in a gracious way
- Gamesmanship: gaining advantage through mind games and rule-exploiting.
After watching the video
Discussion questions
Would every country want to host a World Cup?
Are there any times when a country should not be allowed to host?
What subjects link to the different essential jobs involved, from physiotherapists to website designers to camera operators.
How can crowd problems, too many people in one place for example, be avoided?
How are you watching the games? What stories are being shared? What is missing? Who is making the news
Which is the best tactic to win?
How will players cope with the changes in weather?
What could FIFA do to mitigate the CO2 emissions created by the World Cup? Will this change the tactics/training of the players? Could we see more defensive or attacking playing?
If you could pick where to host the World Cup, where would it be and why?
Different cities hosting the matches will have different laws, for one month should fans follow the rules of each country or should there be a global standard of rights for all to follow?
Activity ideas
Students could design a set of health and well-being guidelines that all World Cup Final hosts should follow
Divide the class into groups to research different areas of any World Cup final, for example: stadiums, transport, crowd consideration, security, food and energy
Students could plan their own sustainable World Cup in the future in a country of their choice, or in their own school
Students could become 'human rights' referees and present imagined scenarios, inspired by [FIFA's Human rights Framework]for classroom discussion
Students have a Town hall simulation: Different stakeholders asking questions about how their rights will be respected, students could map stakeholders. Maps of stadiums for students to highlight potential for human rights abuses
Debate: If FIFA has created this can they ban players for wearing political symbols? How far should football remain neutral? Does the ban on protest remove the rights to Freedom of Speech or is it necessary within sport.
Suggested framework
1. As pupils enter
A promotion video from the FIFA YouTube channel or a football-related musical track could be played.
2. Introduction
Potential starting questions:
- Where is the 2026 Men’s Football World Cup being held? [Ask for responses.]
- Are we [the country where assembly is being delivered] involved? [Ask for responses.]
- How is the FIFA World Cup different from the league football games played every week? [Ask for responses.]
3. Play the video
(Duration: 3’ 52” Final words: ‘…and, above all, have fun!’)
You may wish to stop at relevant points during the video to pose questions and check understanding, or wait until the end.
4. After the video - Time to talk
Lead a discussion by asking some or all of the following questions:
- Where are the USA, Mexico and Canada in the world?
- How many countries are in the 2026 competition? Can you name any of the countries?
- How do time-zones impact the viewing audience?
- Can students name any famous recent tournaments or things that happened?
- Can students name any players that made their name in previous World Cups?
- What are the social, economic, political and environmental impacts of staging a competition across multiple countries?
- Why is the slogan ‘We Are 26’? What message does this convey about the three hosting countries? Can the three countries really act as one?
- What are some of the jobs involved in running a large football competition?
5. Opportunity to sing
If your assembly includes a song this is an opportunity to sing it.
6. Closing the assembly
Some reflections on the 2026 World Cup and large international sports competitions in general:
- Which country would you support if this country wasn’t in the final or was knocked out?
- How many students are looking forward to the Men’s Football World Cup? [Hands up, ask for responses.]
- Name a job linked to the World Cup, other than those on the pitch [Ask for responses.]
- What are some of the qualifications or what are some of your favourite subjects that could lead to these types of jobs? If you wanted to work for a global event such as a FIFA tournament, what sort of transferable skills would you need? How could you gain experience to practise those? [Ask for responses.]
- What if the favourite team does not win? What resilience will the players and country need? How could they manage expectations? [Ask for responses.]
- A quiet moment of reflection could be included if appropriate.
Resources
Useful links
The following links could be used as research or provided to students after the assembly.
Related links
1971 Women's World Cup: The Lost Lionesses – secondary assembly resources. collection
An assembly framework and video to celebrate a major sporting occasion and the achievements of the England women's football team who competed in the 1971 Women's World Cup in Mexico.
BBC Sport - FIFA World Cup
The latest news, updates & video highlights from the FIFA World Cup 2026.
