Welcome back to Mid-Day Maidaan, your ultimate stadium pass to everything happening in the world of sports. The FIFA World Cup 2026 has officially commenced, bringing an unprecedented level of scale, drama, and expansion to the beautiful game. For the first time in football history, 48 teams are battling it out across three host nations—the United States, Canada, and Mexico—meaning a mammoth 104 matches packed into a grueling 39-day summer schedule.

In this episode, our sports desk dives deep into the tournament openers and analyzes the brand-new structural layout. With 12 groups of four, the race to progress is more chaotic than ever, as even the best third-placed teams get a lifeline into a brand-new Round of 32. We look at the absolute must-watch group phase blockbuster fixtures, including France vs. Erling Haaland's Norway and England’s high-stakes reunion with Croatia.

In this episode, we discuss- 

The Senegal team's not-so-warm welcome

How Geopolitics affects global sports

Biggest highlights of the season.