We started a five-part series of data investigation to capture the effect of the Russia-Ukraine war in numbers. Years of data turned into 5 stories. Parts one and two are currently live. Click on the link in bio for the full story. Get the data behind headlines, follow @dataexplain

🇳🇱 The Netherlands and 🇯🇵 Japan are meeting on June 14 for a high-stakes encounter. Both teams are known for playing beautiful, tactical football, and they enter this tournament ranked 7th and 18th in the world, respectively. Take a look at the graphic below to see how these two technical powerhouses compare in terms of population, World Cup history, and their young talismanic superstars!

🇨🇼 Curaçao is the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for a World Cup. With just 155,000 residents, smaller than most cities, they're making waves by playing against Germany, a four-time World Cup winner, in front of a cheering crowd of 70,000 in Houston. 🇩🇪 Germany has a storied history with 4 World Cups and 21 tournament appearances, though they’ve stumbled in the group stage in recent years in 2018 and 2022. They’re eager to show those setbacks were just blips. Meanwhile, Curaçao impressively went unbeaten through 10 qualifying matches, with seven wins and three draws. A nation of just 155,000 making it to the biggest tournament on the planet without dropping a game is truly inspiring. Despite Germany’s larger size and history of triumphs, they’ve faced early exits in recent group stages, highlighting how unpredictable and exciting this competition truly is. Does size matter in football, or did Curaçao just prove it doesn't?

Four-time world champions Germany are set to welcome World Cup debutants Curaçao on June 14. From population size to tournament history, the statistical contrast between these two nations couldn't be any bigger! Check out the graphic below to see how the football giants and the historic tournament newcomers stack up across all the key metrics. Can Curaçao shock the world on their biggest stage yet, or will Germany cruise to victory? Let us know your predictions below! 👇

🇦🇺 Australia beat Türkiye 2-0 in Vancouver, with 28% possession. Nestory Irankunda scored in the 27th minute — a 20-year-old playing for Watford, becoming the youngest-ever Australian goalscorer at a World Cup. He celebrated by punching the corner flag in tribute to Tim Cahill. Connor Metcalfe doubled it in the second half. Goalkeeper Patrick Beach made 8 saves to keep the clean sheet. Now the data behind the winner: 🇦🇺 Australia has a population of 27 million and a GDP per capita of $65,000. It’s proudly participating in its sixth consecutive World Cup and seventh overall. This wonderful country consistently punches above its weight on the world stage, both in sports and in economics. Türkiye last played at a World Cup in 2002 when they finished third. They then missed five consecutive tournaments. 24 years of waiting. Lost to a team that dominated them with less than a third of the ball. Group D after one game: USA 3 points. Australia 3 points. Türkiye 0. Paraguay 0. USA vs Australia in Seattle on June 19 could decide who tops the group. Follow @dataexplain to get the data no one else talks about.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland just won a World Cup match for the first time since 1990. John McGinn's deflected shot in the 28th minute gave Scotland a 1-0 win over Haiti in Boston. Scotland hadn't been at a World Cup since 1998, and their last win was 36 years ago against Sweden. Brazil and Morocco drew 1-1 earlier. Scotland is now top of Group C after one game. The team nobody expected to top the group did. Now the data behind the winner: 🏴 Scotland has a population of 5.5 million and a GDP per capita of $54,000. It returned to the World Cup scene for the first time since 1998, after facing eight consecutive qualification failures from 1998 to 2022. Despite qualifying for nine World Cups, they have yet to advance beyond the group stage.

🇧🇷🇲🇦 Brazil 1-1 Morocco. The match of the tournament so far. Morocco led through a cheeky Saibari chip in the 21st minute. Vinícius Junior equalized 11 minutes later with a clinical finish past Bounou. Neither side could find a winner in front of 80,663 at MetLife Stadium. Brazil extended its unbeaten streak in World Cup openers to 21 matches. But Morocco, the team that reached the semi-finals four years ago, held the five-time world champions for 90 minutes. The data said Brazil had a 57.7% chance of winning. Morocco had 18.8%. The match ended with one point each. Neymar watched from the bench. Vinícius showed why Brazil doesn't need him right now. Morocco showed why nobody wants to play them. Both teams remain in contention. Group C is wide open.

🇦🇺 Australia and 🇹🇷Türkiye are ready to battle it out on June 14. They are separated by just 5 spots in the FIFA rankings (27th vs 22nd), making this one of the most evenly matched games of the tournament so far. Check out the graphic below to see how these two sides compare in population, economic power, past tournament success, and their most valuable stars! Will the Socceroos' tournament experience edge it, or will Türkiye's young talent take the win? Drop your predictions below👇

Group C continues with a fascinating matchup! Haiti and Scotland are ready to go head-to-head on June 14. With a massive gap in GDP and FIFA rankings, but a much younger squad, Haiti has all the ingredients for an unpredictable battle. Check out the graphic below to see exactly how these two nations compare in population, tournament history, and key players before kickoff! Can Haiti pull off a massive upset, or will Scotland take all 3 points? Drop your predictions below! 👇 #Dataexplained

🇶🇦 Qatar scored an equalizer in the 94th minute. Switzerland had controlled the entire match. For 90 minutes, the Swiss were winning. Then Khoukhi rose at the back post. 1-1. All four teams in Group B now have one point, making it one of the most exciting and unpredictable groups in the tournament. Looking at the data, Qatar invested a whopping $220 billion hosting the 2022 World Cup, but unfortunately lost every game. However, they returned in 2026 as visitors ranked 56th in the world and impressively held Switzerland, ranked 19th, to a draw with the very last kick of the match. Money bought Qatar a World Cup. Desire just earned them a point. Group B remains highly competitive. Next up: Canada versus Switzerland on June 18 in Vancouver.

🇧🇷 Brazil has won the World Cup 5 times. 🇲🇦Morocco has won it 0 times. But at the last World Cup, Morocco reached the semi-finals, the first African nation ever to do so. Brazil went out in the quarter-finals on penalties to Croatia. The most successful nation in World Cup history lost while Morocco made history. They play each other tonight in New Jersey. Is Brazil still the most dangerous team in the world, or is Morocco quietly becoming what Brazil used to be?

90 Minutes, 2 Nations. ⚽️ A heavyweight Group C battle is here! Brazil and Morocco are squaring off in what promises to be an absolute thriller. One has 5 World Cup titles, the other made history in 2022, and they are sitting right next to each other at 6th and 7th in the FIFA rankings! 👉 Take a look at the graphic below to see how these two football powerhouses compare in population, squad value, and World Cup history. Who takes the 3 points today? Predict the score in the comments! 👇 #DataExplained #WorldCup2026 #BrazilVsMorocco #GroupC #FootballData #Matchday

90 Minutes, 2 Nations. ⚽️ Group B is heating up! How do Qatar and Switzerland stack up against each other ahead of tonight’s clash? From World Cup history to GDP and star players, the numbers tell an incredible story. Check out the graphic below to see the full breakdown. Who do you have winning this match? Let us know in the comments! 👇

🇳🇬 Nigeria has produced some of the best footballers on Earth. Okocha. Kanu. Osimhen. Saka. Lookman. Nigeria has secured the AFCON title three times in 1980, 1994, and 2013. Their top World Cup achievement is reaching the Round of 16, a feat they've accomplished three times. They have never advanced to the quarter-finals or semi-finals. They didn't qualify for 2022. They didn't qualify for 2026. The Super Eagles are absent from the biggest tournament in history, which is happening right now. Is Nigerian football underperforming, or is the system failing the talent?

🇺🇸 The United States just scored 4 goals in a World Cup match for the first time in history. 4-1 over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium. Own goal in the 7th minute. Folarin Balogun scored two first-half strikes. Gio Reyna in stoppage time. The USMNT had never scored more than three goals in a single World Cup game before tonight. CA Balogun was born in New York to Nigerian parents, raised in London, eligible for three national teams, and chose the USA in 2023. "A real dream. It was a dreamy night," he said after. Bloomberg Now the data behind the winner: 🇺🇸 World's largest economy, $27 trillion GDP. Has never won a World Cup. Last hosted in 1994. Soccer viewership has grown by 84% since 2022. Christian Pulisic's Champions League winner in 2023 was watched by more Americans than any European club game in history. The country that couldn't win it is starting to look like it might. Next match: USA vs Australia, June 19, Seattle. #DataExplained

🇨🇦 Canada's first World Cup point. Ever. In 1986, Canada played 3 games, lost 3, and scored zero goals. In 2022, they went out in the group stage. Today, at home in Toronto, they finally got one. Moneywise Bosnia led through Lukic's header in the 21st minute. Cyle Larin came off the bench in the 76th minute and scored two minutes later. Canada's second-ever World Cup goal equalizer, on Toronto's home soil. Traded Alphonso Davies didn't play out with a hamstring injury. Canada equalized anyway. Traded The data behind today's co-host: $2.2 trillion economy. Technical recession last quarter. 40 years between World Cup appearances. One point on the board. Sometimes a draw feels like a win. Canada 1986: 0 points. Canada 2026: 1 point. The gap between those two numbers took 40 years to close. #DataExplained

USA vs. Paraguay: The numbers behind the matchup. Did you know Paraguay has a significantly younger squad median age, or that the US GDP per capita is nearly 10x higher? Take a look at the visual below for the ultimate head-to-head stat comparison!

⚽ Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina kicks off today in Group B, June 12. $58,400 GDP per capita vs $10,700. 40.5 million people vs 3.1 million. FIFA 30th vs 64th. Same group stage. Very different stories to get here. Which team advances, and which statistic on this graphic tells you why?

🇺🇸The United States is the world's largest economy, with a GDP of $27 trillion. It has never won a World Cup. Brazil has won it 5 times. GDP per capita: $8,900. Argentina has won it 3 times. GDP per capita: $14,800. Germany has won it 4 times. GDP per capita: $52,000. Three of the most successful football nations in history have a combined GDP smaller than the US economy alone. Money builds stadiums. It doesn't build football cultures. Can the richest country on Earth ever win the world's most popular sport, or is there something about how football greatness is built that money simply cannot buy?

💰 Today, Elon Musk became the first trillionaire in human history.

🇨🇦 Canada's last appearance at a World Cup was in 1986, where they lost all matches, scored no goals, and left without any points. After 40 years, they're now ranked 30th globally, featuring Alphonso Davies—one of the world's top left-backs—and benefiting from a home continent advantage. 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina became independent in 1995. They've qualified for only one World Cup so far, ranking 64th at the time. This contrast highlights a nation that has reinvented itself over four decades versus another that has built a football team from the ground up in just 30 years. Which story is more remarkable, Canada's rebuild or Bosnia's existence?