This is our first report centered on FIFA’s World Cup, following our previous Olympic and Paralympic Analysis reports.
This publication would not be possible without the vast knowledge and expertise of the contributors to this project. The report features both senior and emerging scholars, each of whom shares a passion for advancing scholarship in communication and sport. It is worth noting that each contributor worked under tight deadlines, providing real-time analysis as events unfolded during the 2026 World Cup. We are grateful for their expertise and commitment throughout the project.
For their financial support, we thank the Center for Sports Communication & Media at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Oregon Olympic Studies Hub, and Texas State University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
We are also grateful for the support of the Centre for Comparative Politics and Media Research at Bournemouth University, the International Communication Association (ICA) Sports Communication Special Interest Group, and the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR Media), which helped mobilize their members to participate in this report and expand the reach of the project.
We owe a special debt of gratitude to our outstanding research assistants, Aaron Huerta and Matilda Svahn, who worked diligently to design and develop the website and PDF reports and to promote articles across social media channels. Finally, special thanks go to our friends and families for their love and support throughout the development of this project during the busy summer months.
Additional photo credits
Absolutely — using the exact format of your reference, I’d format the new credits like this:
Section 1. The field at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City during the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup. CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Photo by Omar David Sandoval Sida on Wikimedia Commons.
Section 2. AI-generated visual concept / Unofficial FIFA World Cup 2026 VAR room render.
Image credit: AI-generated visual concept.
Section 2. Dogs at Polls.
Liam McLoughlin, University of Liverpool.
From: https://x.com/Leelum/status/1808812490135908446
Section 3. Uzbekistan vs. Colombia match at the 2026 FIFA Fan Fest in Mexico City. CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Photo by ProtoplasmaKid on Wikimedia Commons.
Section 4. Referee Tori Penso during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match between Ecuador and Germany on June 25, 2026, at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey. CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Photo by YantsImages on Wikimedia Commons.
Section 5. Seattle Stadium surrounded by “FIFA World Cup 2026” fence. CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Photo by PK-WIKI on Wikimedia Commons.
From: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seattle_Stadium_FIFA_World_Cup_2026.png
Section 6. President Donald Trump speaks with Andrew Giuliani, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, FIFA senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, and Rep. Darin LaHood outside the Oval Office after meeting with the White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Public domain.
Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok.
Back Cover. FIFA World Cup 2026™ official logo.
Official logo by FIFA.
