Guides
Guides & Analysis
How to watch, the format, fixtures and stats-driven stories — the pieces that stay useful all tournament long.
How to watch (3)
Is MONOMAX Sports Worth It? Packages & Cheapest Buy
How MONOMAX Sports tiers differ, where to buy cheapest, and the new no-card installment for World Cup 2026 — pay over 4 years, watch for how long?
Sat 20 Jun
How to Watch the 2026 World Cup in Thailand
Where to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Thailand: free matches on Mono29, Monomax pricing for all 104 games, devices, VPN facts and Thai-time kickoffs.
Sat 13 Jun
World Cup 2026 Replays in Thailand
Missed the 3 a.m. kickoff? Every legal way to watch World Cup 2026 replays and highlights in Thailand: Monomax prices, free highlight channels and devices.
Sat 13 JunFormat (4)
3 Reds in the Opener: New 2026 VAR Rules
Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the 2026 World Cup opener, but the match saw three red cards, a first in 96 years, as new VAR and IFAB rules took hold.
Tue 16 Jun
World Cup 2026 48-Team Format Explained
The 2026 World Cup format explained: 48 teams, 12 groups, 104 matches, a new Round of 32, who advances, the tiebreaker changes and how it differs from 2022.
Sat 13 Jun
World Cup 2026 Knockout Bracket Explained
How the World Cup 2026 knockout bracket works: the new Round of 32, picking the 8 best third-placed teams, the fixed no-redraw bracket, top-4 seeding and dates.
Sat 13 Jun
VAR and Offside Tech at World Cup 2026
How VAR and semi-automated offside (SAOT) work at World Cup 2026: the 10cm threshold, alerts to the linesman, five VAR categories, ref mics, and tech limits.
Sat 13 JunSchedule (1)
Data story (25)
Brazil 1-2 Norway — When the Better Team Goes Home
Brazil built 2.73 xG to Norway 0.84 and still lost 1-2, out in the last 16. We leaned Brazil at 51 percent before kickoff and the result missed completely.
Wed 8 Jul
France vs Morocco QF Preview — The 2022 Rematch
World Cup 2026 quarter-final — France, scorers of 14, meet a Morocco unbeaten in 90 minutes: the 2022 rematch, and the one thing the market number can't see.
Wed 8 Jul
Norway vs England QF — The Ghost of 1981
World Cup 2026 QF: Haaland's Norway, fresh from beating Brazil, meet an England chasing a first trophy since 1966 — and where the number leans.
Wed 8 Jul
How FIFA Cleared Balogun to Face Belgium
Balogun was sent off against Bosnia, yet FIFA used Article 27 to suspend his ban so he can face Belgium in the last 16, as Belgium and UEFA object.
Mon 6 Jul
Portugal vs Spain: The Wall That Hasn't Cracked
Spain haven't conceded in four games; Unai Simón's 519 clean-sheet minutes are a World Cup record. In this Round of 16 Iberian derby, can Portugal break it?
Sat 4 Jul
Brazil vs Norway: The Ghost of 1998
The only time Brazil met Norway at a World Cup, in 1998, Brazil lost. In the 2026 Round of 16, a back line that conceded once in four games meets Haaland.
Fri 3 Jul
Brazil 2-1 Japan — Held in stoppage time
Brazil beat Japan 2-1 in the World Cup 2026 round of 32. Japan led at half-time; a Martinelli winner settled it in stoppage time. Our call: Held, but barely.
Wed 1 Jul
France vs Sweden: The Knockout Where +8 Lies
World Cup 2026 Round of 32: France arrive unbeaten on +8, Sweden scraped in after a 1-5 loss — but a knockout is one night, and here's what the number misses.
Tue 30 Jun
Brazil vs Japan: The Giant-Killer Returns
Japan beat Brazil for the first time ever 8 months ago. Now they meet in the World Cup 2026 Round of 32, with Brazil missing Raphinha and Neymar on the bench.
Mon 29 Jun
Norway 3-2 Senegal — the red card that never came
Norway beat Senegal 3-2 as the numbers leaned, and Haaland's brace sent them through. But the red card we feared from a strict referee never came — class did.
Thu 25 Jun
Norway vs France: The Game Where the Stars May Sit
Both already through, so the Group I World Cup 2026 finale only decides top spot. France draw to win it, Norway must win. The variable is who rotates.
Wed 24 Jun
Norway vs Senegal: A Win-or-Bust Night
Norway lead at 41% over Senegal in a Group I clash at World Cup 2026. Haaland can clinch; a cornered side and a card-happy referee are what the number misses.
Mon 22 Jun
Mexico 1-0 South Korea: Right Call, Wrong Reason
Mexico beat South Korea 1-0 as the numbers leaned, but not for the altitude we flagged. Korea had the ball and the better xG, yet still lost to one error.
Sun 21 Jun
Netherlands vs Sweden: Group F's Decider
Netherlands are 57% market favourites, but Sweden top Group F after a 5-1 rout, and the variable that may decide it is NRG Stadium's closed roof in Houston.
Sat 20 Jun
Mexico vs South Korea: The Fight for Group A
Mexico host South Korea as 48% favorites in a Group A decider at World Cup 2026 — but 28°C heat and 1,670m altitude at Estadio Akron are what the number misses.
Thu 18 Jun
Cape Verde Held Spain Scoreless 0-0
Cape Verde, a nation of about 500,000, drew 0-0 with European champions Spain on their 2026 World Cup debut as Spain took 27 shots for 2.16 xG yet scored none.
Tue 16 Jun
Germany Won 7-1 But Curaçao Made History
Germany beat Curaçao 7-1 in their 2026 World Cup opener, but the goal that mattered was their first ever, from Comenencia past 40-year-old Neuer.
Tue 16 Jun
Son Didn't Score. Korea Won Anyway.
South Korea beat Czechia 2-1 in their 2026 World Cup opener even though Son Heung-min did not score, as Hwang In-beom and a feverish Oh Hyeon-gyu won it.
Tue 16 Jun
Who Will Win the 2026 World Cup? The Data
The biggest names rarely lift the trophy. A data look at FIFA rankings, squad depth, age, the 48-team grind, and the models on who has the real goods in 2026.
Tue 16 Jun
Why Italy Missed the 2026 World Cup Again
A four-time world champion misses out for a third straight time. Inside the Bosnia playoff loss, the Group I numbers, and the deeper Serie A roots.
Tue 16 Jun
World Cup 2026 Players to Watch: The Data
Not just big names. The players who will define World Cup 2026, read through real club form: Mbappe, Yamal, Bellingham, a 17-year-old, and the farewells.
Tue 16 Jun
4 Debutant Nations the 48-Team World Cup Let In
Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan reach their first World Cup. Inside the profiles, qualifying routes, and 48-team slot maths that opened the door.
Sun 14 Jun
World Cup 2026 Golden Boot Race
Who leads the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race now, the tiebreaker rules most fans misread, the record to beat, and the contenders. Updated by matchday.
Sat 13 Jun
The Real Group of Death at World Cup 2026
Which group is the real Group of Death at World Cup 2026? We rank all 12 by FIFA points: the group called easy is the tightest, and a famous one is lopsided.
Sat 13 Jun
Are Minnows Toppling Giants More Often? The Data
Is the World Cup still ruled by 5-6 giants? The data on upsets, the closing FIFA-ranking gap, the biggest shocks, and whether the 48-team format helps minnows.
Sat 13 JunHistory (4)
Asia at the 2026 World Cup: 9 Nations, a New Era
Asia sends a record nine nations to the 2026 World Cup, from South Korea 2002 to Japan beating Germany and Spain in 2022. Why this year is different.
Tue 16 Jun
Curaçao: Smallest Nation in World Cup History
Curaçao, an island of 156,000, is the smallest nation in World Cup history. Inside its qualifying run, Dutch diaspora squad, and coach Advocaat, 78.
Sun 14 Jun
World Cup Host Advantage: History and 2026
Do World Cup hosts still have an edge? The record from six home winners to two group-stage exits, and what it means for 2026 hosts USA, Canada and Mexico.
Sat 13 Jun
Morocco at the World Cup: A Landmark Run
Inside Morocco 2022, the first African nation to a World Cup semi-final: beating Belgium, Spain and Portugal, the diaspora squad, and the 2026 context.
Sat 13 JunLegends (3)
10 Greatest World Cup Players of All Time
Pelé, Maradona, Messi and seven more World Cup legends. The real stats, the trophies, and why ranking the greatest of all time is harder than it looks, sourced from FIFA and major media.
Sun 14 Jun
Maradona 1986: The Man Who Carried a Team
Inside Maradona's 1986 World Cup — the Hand of God, the Goal of the Century, and the numbers showing he was involved in 71% of Argentina's goals, plus Bilardo's 3-5-2 behind it.
Sun 14 Jun
Pelé: The Boy of 17 Who Won Three World Cups
The story of Pelé, the 17-year-old who exploded onto the 1958 World Cup and became the only human to win it three times. Inside all three tournaments, the real stats, and the goals dispute.
Sun 14 JunTravel (2)
16 Stadiums, 3 Countries: The 2026 World Cup Map
The 2026 World Cup spans 16 cities across the USA, Canada and Mexico. Full venue table with capacities, distances, time zones and Bangkok kickoff times.
Tue 16 Jun
Thai Fans' Guide to Attending World Cup 2026
A guide for Thai fans attending World Cup 2026 in person: visas for the USA, Canada and Mexico, flights, tickets, rooms, free fan festivals and eSIMs.
Sat 13 Jun