The 2026 FIFA World Cup


1. Warm-Up Questions

  • Do you like soccer?
  • Do you watch the World Cup?
  • Do you know where the 2026 World Cup will be?
  • Which country do you support in soccer?
  • Do you think Brazil has a chance to win in 2026?

2. Vocabulary Preview (Simple)

WordMeaningExample
World Cupthe biggest soccer tournamentThe World Cup happens every four years.
hostthe country that receives the gamesThe USA is one of the hosts.
stadiuma big place to play soccerThe stadium is very modern.
coachthe team leaderThe coach talks to the players.
teama group of playersBrazil has a strong team.
matcha soccer gameBrazil plays a match today.
goalwhen the ball goes into the netHe scored a goal.
trophythe prize for the winnerThe winner gets the trophy.
favoritethe team with more chancesBrazil is a favorite team.

3. Reading — The 2026 FIFA World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest soccer event in the world. It happens every four years and brings together the best national teams. Fans from many countries watch the games and support their teams with a lot of passion.

This World Cup will be special because it will be hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This is the first time that three countries organize the World Cup together. Many cities and many stadiums will be used, and the games will travel across North America.

Another important change is the number of teams. In 2026, the World Cup will have 48 teams. This gives more countries the chance to play and show their soccer. Because of this, there will be more matches and more exciting moments.

Many strong teams will play in this World Cup, like Brazil, Argentina, France, England, and Germany. Some teams are very organized, others are very creative. All of them want to win the trophy.


4. Brazil in the 2026 World Cup

Brazil is one of the most famous teams in World Cup history. Brazil has won the World Cup five times, more than any other country. Brazilian soccer is known for skill, creativity, and passion.

The coach of Brazil is Carlo Ancelotti. He is a very experienced coach and has worked with big clubs in Europe. He is calm, organized, and knows how to work with great players. Many people believe he can help Brazil have a strong team in 2026.

Brazil has many good players. Some important names are Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Bruno Guimarães, and Endrick, who is very young and very promising. These players are fast, skilled, and play in strong teams in Europe.

One big question is about Neymar. Many fans ask: Will Neymar play in the 2026 World Cup? Neymar is very talented, but he has had injuries in recent years. If he is healthy, he can help the team a lot. If not, Brazil still has other strong players who can lead the team.

Brazil is in a good moment, but the competition will be very hard. The team needs good organization, focus, and teamwork to win.


5. Who Are the Favorites?

Brazil is always one of the favorites, but other teams also have a big chance. Argentina, the current champion, has a strong team and a lot of confidence. France has many young and powerful players. England and Germany are also very organized teams.

The World Cup is unpredictable. Sometimes the favorite wins, sometimes a surprise team goes very far. That is what makes the World Cup so exciting.


6. The Fans and the Stadiums

Fans from all over the world will travel to watch the games. They sing, wear team shirts, and celebrate together. The stadiums will be modern, big, and full of energy.

The World Cup is not only about soccer. It is also about culture, friendship, and sharing moments with people from different countries.


7. The Final Match and the Trophy

The final match is the most important game of the World Cup. The winner becomes the world champion and lifts the famous trophy. It is a very emotional moment for players and fans.

Winning the World Cup is a dream for every team. Only one country can lift the trophy in 2026.


8. Check Your Understanding

  1. How many countries will host the 2026 World Cup?
  2. How many teams will play in this World Cup?
  3. Who is the coach of Brazil?
  4. Why is Neymar a big question for 2026?
  5. Name one favorite team to win the World Cup.

9. Opinion & Discussion

Think and talk:

  • Do you think Brazil is in a good phase now?
  • Do you think Neymar should play in 2026?
  • Which team do you think is the favorite?
  • Do you want to watch the 2026 World Cup?

10. Writing Task

Write 5 simple sentences about the 2026 World Cup.

You can write about:

  • Brazil
  • The coach
  • Neymar
  • Your favorite team
  • Who will win the World Cup

Example:
Brazil is a strong team. I like Vinícius Júnior. I think Brazil has a good chance.

Responses

  1. In my opinion, I think that Brazil will win the 2026 World Cup, because Brazil’s team and coach are very good, experienced and calm. Carlo Ancelotti is a good coach, because he won many trophies with Real Madrid and Milan. The goalkeepers of Brazil play in Europe teams and they are very good, I think that Ederson, Alisson and Hugo Souza will close the goal.

    The defense is very good, with Marquinhos, Leo Pereira and Gabriel Magalhães. It will be almost impossible to other players to pass and to score the goal. The midfield is also good, Casemiro and Lucas Paquetá will build many plays for Brazil.

    Brazil’s attack is a very big promise because it has Neymar, Estevão and Rodrygo, they will drible a lot, make many plays and score goals.

    And because of this, I think that Brazil will win the 2026 World Cup.

  2. Yes, I think that Brazil has a chance to win the world cup, but to win, Brazil will need to do some sacrifices like to train a lot because there are other teams that are very good like Argentina and France.

    The coach of the brazil called Carlos Anceloti is very good. I know that he makes a lot teams very good like Real Madrid, and because of this, I think that we have a chance.

    Also, other fact that makes Brazil good is the players who are very good like Neymar, Estevão, Rodrygo and many others.The players that I like are Estevão and Neymar because Neymar is a classic player, he is always good and we have Estevão who is a good promise

    And this is why I think that Brazilian team has a chance to win the world cup.

  3. Before I answer anything, I need to say that I really want Brazil to win this world cup. First, because we deserve to win, and second because I think that the journey of the Brazilian national team unites the Brazilian people. I will try to explain bellow.

    Everytime Brazil wins, we feel proud to be Brazilian and we celebrate the fact that we are from this country. The people cheer together, they get together to follow the games, they unite as a family and so many other interesting things.

    Now, I think Brazil can win this world cup. First, we are going to have more games to warm up. In fact, we will win more games and this will bring a ton of motivation for the Brazilian team. I also think that the coach is very experienced and mature. He knows what he is doing because he has experience with other amazing teams. Also, of course, we have a lot of amazing players this time.

    So yeah, the chance is real and, like I said before, I’m going to follow everything about this world cup. This year, I decided that I’m going to watch almost all the games. I’m going to send all my energy to the Brazilian national team in this world cup! 💚

  4. I love to watch the World Cup. During this event national teams will play against each other, the national teams will face each other. I think that this year Brazil has a very small chance to win. In my opinion the favorite team to win this World Cup is Spain.

    In my opinion Neymar should play in this World Cup only if he is healthy. If he is not in good condition he should stay home.

    Because of this I am really excited about this World Cup.

  5. In my opinion, Brazil has a good chance to win this world cup. I think that we have good players and a very good coach at the moment. We have big talents like Vinicius Jr, Estevão and Rodrygo.

    Also, besides the players of the line, we have a very strong goalkeeper. His name is Alisson.

    We have an amazing coach, too. Carlos Ancelloti has a lot of experience in Real Madrid. He is going to organize Brazil in a very good way, he is going to prepare Brazil for this cup.

  6. In my opinion, the Brazilian team is not in a good phase. We don’t have a good chance to win this year because the other teams are so strong. Of course we have a very good coach. Ancelotti had a very good performance in Real Madrid, but he is not god because he can’t make miracles. For me Neymar needs to be on the team. He is not in the best phase but he is necessary for the team. In my opinion Portugal is going to win this world cup because cr7 is going to give his life in every game.

  7. In terms of soccer I think that Brazil is in a good phase. I say this because at the moment we have excellent players on the team. For example, we have alisson on the goal. In the attack we have players like Estevão and Igor Thiago, Endrick and many others. The coach that we have is excellent because he had an amazing performance in Real Madrid and Milan. Ancelotti is good but the other players are good too. Because of this I think that we have a good chance to win this year.

  8. In relation to the first point, in my opinion Brazil has a strong team, a good coach, a good support but I think the players are not so good. In relation to the second point, Ancelotti is a good coach and famous person in the soccer world. But he is not God. What I am trying to say is that is he is a good coach but, he can’t save Brazil alone.
    When it comes to Neymar, I think that it is difficult to say something about him. I say this because, Neymar is not focused in the soccer anymore, he is focused in his life and family. Also, he has a difficulty with injuries and lesions. I swear to God, this guy is made of paper.

  9. I think that Brazil is not in a good phase. In the past Brazil had many fantastic players but right now we don’t have many stars on the team. In relation to the coach I think that he is a great professional but he can’t change the situation for Brazil. He can’t win the cup alone. In relation to Neymar I think that he’s not focused in soccer in the moment but in the past he was a good player. My favorite team is Brazil but I don’t think that we have a big chance to win in this year. Honestly I think that the winner is going to be Portugal or Spain.

  10. I think that, at this time, Brazil totally has chances to win this World Cup. In fact, Brazil has a really good team this time, with a lot of exceptional players like Raphinha and Vinicius Júnior, but also, the most important and different thing we have this time is the new coach Ancelloti, who is a very good coach with a lot of familiarity with Brazilian players. Also, I really want Neymar to get selected for the team, because I think that he will help a lot with the emotional side of the players in the backstage, but for that he has to get better from his injuries and get better at his skills in general. In the end, I think that Brazil really has big chances to win, and I think they will.

  11. In relation to Brazil I think that Brazil is going to lose, because Brazil doesn’t have any good players. In fact Brazil is not in a good phase.

    And in relation to the coach, I think that the coach Carlo Ancelloti is a very good coach, but I don’t think that he is going to save Brazil alone. He is good but he is not God.

    In relation to Neymar, I think that Neymar is a very bad player, because he falls every time and he has many problems with injuries. This guy is literally made of paper.

    In relation to my favorite team, I don’t have a favorite team, but I think that the Spain, Argentina or France are going to win. But I would love to see Brazil winning this World Cup, because I’m Brazilian.

  12. In my opinion, Brazil has a chance to win this World Cup. I know that Brazil is not so good anymore these days, and I don’t know many things about soccer, but I say this because Brazil is my country, and I have positive feelings about this World Cup, I believe in Brazil.

    When it comes to the coach, he is good but he is not God. I don’t know many things about him, but my brother says that he can’t save Brazil in this situation. I feel so sad about this.

    About Neymar, I hate him so much with all my heart. This guy doesn’t make sense, he is horrendous. I say this because he is bad in the field, bad in his personal life, and literally, the guy is a liar. He is always falling.

    Of course, my favorite time is Brazil. I say this because I love my country. I love my culture, our music, and history. I know that Brazil is not so good anymore, but I’m not gonna stop believing.

  13. I think that this world cup is gonna be very interesting because of the quantity of the teams, Brazil is a team that I see wining a third place or even going to the final and I think that the coach helps a lot. Carlos Ancelotti is a coach who has experience in Europe because of Real Madrid and some players have experience too like Vinicius Jr and Neymar. Because of all these factors, I believe that we have a chance to win the cup. Everything is possible in soccer and as a Brazilian I will always hope for the best.