SportsJune 10, 2026
The 2026 World Cup’s grass is an engineering problem
FIFA is building temporary natural-grass fields meant to play consistently across 16 stadiums in three countries
The Science of the 2026 World Cup
Follow our coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, from the mathematics of the new soccer ball to the health effects of heat on the beautiful game
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Public HealthJune 10, 2026
The World Cup could be a petri dish for disease. Wastewater could sound the alarm
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
SportsJune 10, 2026
Inside the high-stakes effort to bring natural grass to World Cup stadiums
How scientists are engineering the perfect World Cup pitch—one so flawless that players never notice it
Public HealthJune 8, 2026
World Cup kicks off amid outbreak tracking as Mars mission ends and AI fights heat up
World Cup crowds spark outbreak tracking as AI tensions rise and ancient Rome’s roads get a stunning reboot
Climate ChangeMay 14, 2026
2026 FIFA World Cup players and fans at risk of extreme heat, climate scientists warn
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
MathematicsJuly 25, 2025
The surprising math and physics behind the 2026 World Cup soccer ball
Here’s how the new tetrahedron-based design for the “Trionda” soccer ball may affect next year’s big game