The 2026 World Cup is the biggest, longest, and most geographically sprawling football tournament ever staged — and with that scale comes a mountain of questions. I have spent the past six months fielding them from readers, friends, and the occasional taxi driver in Dublin who wants to know if Messi will play. This World Cup 2026 FAQ gathers every question worth answering into one place, tailored for Irish fans who want the facts without the waffle. If something is missing, the answer is probably covered in the broader guides linked throughout — but start here.
General Questions About the 2026 World Cup
Format and Rules
Ireland and the World Cup
Betting on the World Cup in Ireland
Betting on the World Cup from Ireland operates within a regulatory framework that changed significantly in 2024. The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 replaced legislation dating back to 1931, and the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) now oversees all betting activity. The questions below address the most common queries about betting on the tournament from an Irish context.
The questions above cover the fundamentals, but the 2026 World Cup generates new queries every week as the tournament approaches. For deeper analysis of odds, teams, and betting strategy, the main hub connects to every section of the site — from group previews to team profiles to the complete betting guide. Bookmark it. The tournament starts on 11 June, and the answers you need are all here.