From Messi and Ronaldo to Ancelotti and Tuchel… Will the 2026 World Cup rewrite football history?

Can it work? World Cup 2026which kicks off in a few hours, from a new tournament added to the record of the most famous competition on the planet, turns into a historical station that rewrites the boundaries of achievement in football.

With the biggest tournament in World Cup history, with 48 teams and 104 matches played across the US, Canada and Mexico, the spotlight is on a group of stars and coaches who stand on the brink of decades-old records.

Between Lionel Messi, who is chasing more immortal numbers in appearances, wins and assists, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who is looking to extend his exceptional legacy of World Cup appearances, and Kylian Mbappe, who is close to entering the Club of Legends even though he is not yet in his thirties, the new game looks set to make history.

On the other hand, the fight for glory will not be limited to the green rectangle, as great managers such as Carlo Ancelotti, Thomas Tuchel, Didier Deschamps and Lionel Scalloni have the opportunity to break unprecedented achievements or achieve numbers that no manager has achieved before.

Between goalscoring races, goalkeepers fighting for defensive numbers and coaches fighting for a legacy of immortality, the 2026 edition looks set to be one of the most impactful World Cups in the game’s history, and perhaps one where the numbers many thought were unbreakable will fall.