Think back to the most memorable World Cup moment you can remember. Was it an underdog defying expectations? A dramatic penalty shootout? A legendary player delivering a performance for the history books?
The FIFA World Cup has a unique way of creating moments that stay with us long after the final whistle. As the FIFA World Cup 2026 gets underway, we wanted to find out what Ipsos iSay members and website visitors think would make this edition truly unforgettable.
To explore this question, we asked two Questions of the Day across Europe and North America. The results reveal what people are hoping to see from the FIFA World Cup 2026 and how they plan to follow the tournament.
What Would Make the FIFA World Cup 2026 Unforgettable?
When asked what would make this year's tournament unforgettable, Ipsos iSay members and website visitors were almost evenly split between two possibilities.
The most popular response, selected by 21.8%, was seeing their favorite qualified team win the World Cup. Close behind, 21.3% said that a surprise underdog reaching the final would make the tournament memorable.
These responses suggest that for many people, the appeal of the FIFA World Cup 2026 lies in both loyalty and unpredictability. Some are hoping for a dream victory from a team they already support, while others are drawn to the possibility of an unexpected story unfolding during the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Drama also has its place. More than one in ten respondents (12.2%) said a final decision in extra time or penalties would make the tournament unforgettable. Meanwhile, 6.6% would most like to see a legendary player deliver a historic performance.
However, the largest single group gave a different answer altogether. More than a third of respondents (38.1%) said they don't usually watch the World Cup.
When It Comes to the World Cup, Which Role Do People Play?
We also asked Ipsos iSay members and website visitors which description best matched their viewing habits during the World Cup.
The largest group of respondents (27.9%) described themselves as casual viewers who tune in for the biggest moments. Another 17.3% said they enjoy watching socially with friends, family, or colleagues.
Smaller groups identified as passionate supporters who rarely miss a match (9.9%) or as statistics enthusiasts who enjoy analysing predictions and performance data (4.1%).
Yet once again, the biggest category overall was made up of those who don't follow the World Cup, accounting for 40.8% of responses.
Together, these results suggest that while the FIFA World Cup generates considerable interest, engagement takes many different forms. Not everyone follows every match, and many people choose to engage only with key moments or major storylines.
Not Everyone Is Watching, And That's Interesting
One of the most surprising findings from our Questions of the Day is that a significant proportion of Ipsos iSay members and website visitors say they don't follow the World Cup.
In our first poll, 38.1% said they don't usually watch the tournament. In our second poll, that figure rose slightly, with 40.8% saying they don't follow the World Cup.
These results are a reminder that while the FIFA World Cup is one of the world's most watched sporting events, not everyone experiences it in the same way. Some people are deeply invested from the opening match to the final, while others may only catch major headlines or choose not to follow the competition at all.
That diversity of perspectives is what makes the Ipsos iSay community so interesting. The World Cup may dominate conversations around the globe, but our results show that enthusiasm for the tournament exists on a broad spectrum.
Why Do We Remember Some World Cups Forever?
The responses also raise an interesting question: what makes a World Cup stand out in our memories?
Looking back at previous tournaments, many of the moments people still talk about today reflect the very answers chosen by Ipsos iSay members and website visitors.
For those who selected "a surprise underdog reaching the final," there are plenty of examples. Croatia's remarkable run to the 2018 final captured global attention, while Morocco made history in 2022 by becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.
Others told us that seeing a favorite team lift the trophy would make the tournament unforgettable. Supporters of Argentina experienced exactly that in 2022, when their team won an epic final against France in a match many consider one of the greatest World Cup finals ever played.
Our respondents also highlighted dramatic endings. The 2022 final delivered exactly that, with Argentina and France tied after extra time before the tournament was decided by penalties. It was the kind of finish that millions of viewers will remember for years.
And what about a legendary player having a historic tournament? Many people would point to Lionel Messi's performances in 2022, which helped cement his place among the sport's all-time greats.
These examples show that unforgettable World Cups are rarely defined by just one thing. They are built from moments of surprise, drama, achievement, and emotion, the very elements highlighted by our survey participants.
As the FIFA World Cup 2026 unfolds, the question is simple: which story will people still be talking about years from now?
What the Results Tell Us
The results from these Questions of the Day suggest that there is no single way to experience the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Some Ipsos iSay members and website visitors are hoping to see their favorite team crowned champions. Others are rooting for a surprise contender, a dramatic final, or a once-in-a-generation individual performance. Meanwhile, a substantial group are watching from the sidelines or not following the tournament at all.
What unites these perspectives is the recognition that the World Cup has the power to create shared moments that capture global attention. Whether you're following every match or simply checking the headlines, the stories that emerge from the tournament often become part of a much larger conversation.
Share Your Opinion with Ipsos iSay
At Ipsos iSay, we're always curious about what our members and website visitors think about the topics people are talking about right now, from major sporting events and entertainment to lifestyle trends and current affairs.
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*These results represent Ipsos iSay web visitors across North America and Europe, conducted June 4 - 11, 2026, and may not reflect the views of the general population.
