World Cup
Before the Whistle: Which Managers Actually Improved Their Nation
Competitive form for all 48 World Cup nations — who improved, who declined, and what the rolling data says about the managers going in.
Data Analysis
World Cup
The Real 2026 World Cup Group of Death Has Nothing to Do With Quality
At the World Cup, a "group of death" is simple: four teams, two spots, too many giants. FIFA's new 48-team format softened the guillotine — but didn't remove it. The quality version at 2026 is obvious. The tactical version is almost entirely one group's story.
World Cup
Will the USMNT Escape Its World Cup Group? We Simulated It 10,000 Times.
The supercomputers say the U.S. advances three times in four. But an average hides what decides a tournament. We ran the USMNT's group 10,000 times and isolated the three levers that move the math — Tyler Adams, finishing, set pieces. Pull them and watch the number swing.