3 ways to use the World Cup in your lessons

The World Cup is kicking off for the UK’s home nations - with Scotland having secured a win against Haiti on Sunday, and England set to face Croatia tomorrow.

The 2026 men’s World Cup is arguably the most geographically extensive football tournament ever. It is taking place in three countries (Canada, Mexico and the USA), spans four time zones and hosts players from 48 nations.

Its games will be played in 16 venues, which can be seen on this online World Cup Map, produced by geography teacher Brendan Conway.

Familiar footballing greats, such as Argentina, Spain and France, will be appearing alongside much smaller countries, such as Curacao - a Caribbean island of just 155,000 people (about the size of Cambridge - which is taking part for the first time.

All of this means that the World Cup’s potential for teaching and learning is huge.

With the national curriculum for geography requiring study of the Americas, international connections and issues of sustainability at both key stages 2 and 3, the tournament is a gift to both primary and secondary teachers.

Beyond simply matching flags to nations or devising routes to the host cities, what other possibilities does the World Cup open up for lesson planning?

Here are three geographical ideas to explore.

1. Representing a nation

The presence of two of the UK’s home nations (England and Scotland) in the tournament provides the opportunity to explore how we might represent one of the home nations, alongside our collective representation of the UK.

As former England manager Gareth Southgate wrote in his “Dear England” letter, “For many of the younger generation, your notion of Englishness is quite different from my own...Regardless of your upbringing, what is clear is that we are an incredible nation...we do have a special identity, and that remains a powerful motivator.”

When pupils think about and visualise their nation, what ideas and images come to mind? Is it a flag or a historical event? Is it their family or community? A distinctive landscape or the local area? A landmark or a famous building?

Exploring how different ideas or images underpin a nation’s identity will reveal many different perspectives on how different countries can be represented.

2. How nations compare

The World Cup also provides the opportunity to see how the teams’ countries compare beyond the pitch. For example, teachers could explore how the 48 nations might rank against each other using different types of characteristics.

Fifa’s global rankings place Argentina, Spain and France in the top three of footballing nations - with Curacao, Haiti and New Zealand ranking at the bottom of the qualified teams.

However, if we rank the nations by population or wealth, different patterns emerge, with the USA topping the table by population size, while Switzerland ranks highest by average wealth.

3. Football and climate change

The tournament will also have a significant environmental impact, reportedly generating some 9 million tons of CO2, of which 7.7 million will result from air travel to the matches. If an English fan was to fly from London and then follow the England team all the way to (fingers crossed) the final, they would generate 3.5 tons of CO2, equivalent to about 80 per cent of their annual emissions.

The 104 matches will take place in the heat of the summer, and Fifa has established mandatory “hydration breaks” for all of the games. As the geographer and climate scientist Dr Kaitlyn Trudeau has highlighted, climate change will be making its mark on the tournament as it raises both temperatures and humidity. For example, the seven games played in Miami will likely be in temperatures of about 32C, which will feel - because of high humidity - more like 43C.

This World Cup offers unparalleled opportunities to consider how we represent both our own and other countries, how different countries compare, and the environmental impact of global sporting events.

I hope teachers and pupils can use this chance to explore geographical perspectives they might not otherwise consider. And if anyone would prefer their football with a stronger South American flavour, they need only wait until next year, when Brazil will host the Women’s World Cup, opening a raft of new teaching and learning possibilities.

Steve Brace is chief executive of the Geographical Association