Learn futbol and the World Cup

New to futbol? Here are the core rules in plain language: how a match works, fouls, cards, free kicks, penalties and what the referee is actually doing.

Offside is the rule that confuses new fans the most. Here is the simple version, when it counts, when it does not, and why VAR takes so long.

Why does Messi play for both Argentina and a club? Here is the difference between national teams and clubs, and how the two fit together across a player's year.

What happens when a knockout match ends in a draw? Here is how extra time and penalty shootouts work, step by step, and why they are so nerve-racking.

The 2026 World Cup is the biggest ever: 48 teams, 104 matches, three host countries. Here is exactly how the new format works, start to finish.

How teams advance from the World Cup group stage, what the best third-placed teams are, and the exact tiebreakers FIFA uses when teams are level on points.

48 teams reach the World Cup, but how do they get there? Here is how qualifying works, who gets in automatically, and how the spots are split around the world.

What are UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, AFC and OFC? Here is how world futbol is organized into six confederations, which countries belong to each, and how players get picked for a national team.

A quick, plain-language glossary of the futbol terms you will hear during the World Cup, from clean sheet and brace to stoppage time and VAR.