Every week through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Social Element’s Strategy & Intelligence team is tracking and reporting back on the conversation in and around the tournament. 

Powered by our Brand Currency Methodology™ and data collated across Talkwalker, Perplexity, and broader sports reporting, our reports will explore what fans are actually talking about across three signal types: topics brands should moderate, topics worth engaging with, and topics to keep an eye on as they develop. Tracking these signals as they enter the conversation, heat up, and sustain – providing intelligence on trajectory as well as volume.

About this edition

Our second edition covers June 15 to 21. The first full week of group-stage football was the week the tournament found its first major positive peak. Messi’s hat-trick against Algeria moved him to joint top scorer in World Cup history and generated the biggest single engagement moment of the tournament so far. Off the pitch, FIFA’s decision to ban the pre-revolution Iranian flag became the week’s most-shared negative story, while US host nation pride and one organic moment involving Country Roads emerged as opportunities for brands to lean into.

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