The Science of the 2026 World Cup

Sports psychology plays a major role on and off the pitch, helping players manage chaos and stay strategic

What’s going on with the Ebola outbreak, how the World Cup is dealing with rising temperatures, and how becoming a father can change your brain

From booed hydration breaks to cooling-gel vests, teams are trying everything to keep their players from overheating. Physiologists—and one World Cup team doctor—say feeling cooler is different than cooling the body

Mathematicians have considered how to watch every corner of a space—but soccer adds moving players, blocked views and constant action

Extreme heat poses a risk to players, spectators and workers—find out where the danger is and how to keep cool

FIFA is building temporary natural-grass fields meant to play consistently across 16 stadiums in three countries

As millions of soccer fans pack FIFA World Cup venues, public health scientists created a wastewater monitoring network to forecast potential disease threats—from measles to Ebola

How scientists are engineering the perfect World Cup pitch—one so flawless that players never notice it

World Cup crowds spark outbreak tracking as AI tensions rise and ancient Rome’s roads get a stunning reboot

Heat conditions could exceed dangerous levels at a quarter of the planned 2026 World Cup soccer matches, including the final in New Jersey on July 19

Here’s how the new tetrahedron-based design for the “Trionda” soccer ball may affect next year’s big game