FIFA World Cup: power, politics and global issues

Get students aged 10+ talking about the World Cup and the stories shaping the tornament. Download free lessons to build critical-thinking and communication skills.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will capture global attention, bringing together sport, politics, culture and business on one stage.

How do global competitions influence societies, economies and the environment?

This lesson bundle uses the World Cup as a lens to explore the wider issues behind sport and major global events. Help students examine a range of topics – from equality and sustainability to activism and the legacy of sporting events.

Through informed discussion and debate, students will engage with different perspectives on the role of sport – and the World Cup – in the modern world.

Ready-to-teach lessons

Our lessons save you time, so you can focus on the teaching.

Each lesson contains:

  • Ready-to-use, clear teacher instructions
  • An accessible, student-friendly PowerPoint
  • Printable, engaging resources with clear instructions
  • Keywords and definitions to break down new or challenging vocabulary
  • Icon sharing opinions and oracy

    Oracy-focused activities on sports and The World Cup

  • Icon globe

    Bitesized, reliable information on issues in the news

  • Star icon

    Innovative ways to develop critical-thinking and communication skills


Content you can trust

Our lessons are produced by experienced teachers, with support from The Economist's senior editors and fact-checkers. That means you can trust our resources to give an accurate and balanced picture for your students to unpick. Learn more.

Resources