Football and the 2026 World Cup: A Simple Guide
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Introduction
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Text to type: The 2026 FIFA World Cup is finished. Spain won it. Spain beat Argentina 1–0 after extra time in the final on 19 July 2026. Football has simple rules, and this World Cup had a new format.
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Before you begin
Warm-Up
Do you like football? Do you watch big tournaments?
Need a starting line?
There is no wrong answer. Just share your idea.
How many teams do you think play in the World Cup?
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There is no wrong answer. Make a guess.
Can you name one country that is very good at football?
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There is no wrong answer. Just name a country you know.
Part 1: What Is the World Cup?Reading
Part 1: What Is the World Cup?
Typing practice
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Text to type: The FIFA World Cup is a football tournament. Teams from around the world play against each other. One team wins and becomes world champion. A football match has two teams. Each team has up to eleven players. One player on each team is the goalkeeper. The match has two halves of 45 minutes each. The team that scores more goals wins.
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Check your understanding
Check: What Is the World Cup?
1. How long is one half of a football match?
Sample answer
A standard match has two halves of 45 minutes each, making 90 minutes in total.
Think one step further
Do you think 90 minutes is a long time to watch a match? Why or why not?
Part 2: The 2026 TournamentReading
Part 2: The 2026 Tournament
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Text to type: The 2026 World Cup was different from older tournaments. For the first time, 48 teams played. That is more teams than ever before. There were 104 matches in total. Three countries hosted the tournament together: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The tournament started in June 2026 and the final was on 19 July 2026.
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Check your understanding
Check: The 2026 Tournament
1. How many teams played in the 2026 World Cup?
Sample answer
This was more teams than in any World Cup before 2026.
Think one step further
Three countries hosted the 2026 World Cup together. Can you name them?
Part 3: The Final MatchReading
Part 3: The Final Match
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Text to type: The final match was on 19 July 2026 in New York/New Jersey. Spain played against Argentina. It was a very close match. After 90 minutes the score was 0–0, so the teams played extra time. In extra time, Spain scored one goal. Spain won 1–0. Spain became the 2026 World Cup champions. Argentina did not score.
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Check your understanding
Check: The Final Match
1. Who won the 2026 World Cup final, and what was the score?
Sample answer
Spain beat Argentina 1–0 after extra time and became world champions.
Think one step further
How do you think the Argentina players felt after the match?
Reading
Part 4: Extra Time and Goals
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Text to type: Sometimes a match ends 0–0 or with the same score after 90 minutes. This is called a draw. In a final, there must be a winner. So the teams play extra time — two more short halves. If the score is still equal after extra time, the teams use a penalty shoot-out. Each team takes turns kicking the ball from the penalty spot. In the 2026 final, Spain scored in extra time, so there was no penalty shoot-out.
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Check: Extra Time and Goals
1. What happens if the score is the same after extra time in a final?
Sample answer
In the 2026 final there was no penalty shoot-out because Spain scored in extra time.
Think one step further
Would you find a penalty shoot-out exciting to watch? Why?
What you can do now
Final Reflection
Spain won the 2026 World Cup. Why was the tournament special? Would you fix it or change anything next time?
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Good answers use facts from the lesson. You can also add your own idea.
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Football and the 2026 World Cup: A Simple Guide
0 due · 7 new · about 3 min
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Part 1: What Is the World Cup?
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Part 2: The 2026 Tournament
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Part 3: The Final Match
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Part 4: Extra Time and Goals
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