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GLOBE Cup Challenge Results Are In!

2026-07-30

The 2026 World Cup concluded on 19 July with Spain becoming World Cup Champions — and, with that, our GLOBE Cup Challenge has come to an end. 

During the World Cup — from 11 June to 19 July — GLOBE participants in regional teams visited local soccer (football) fields, parks, schoolyards, or anywhere people play to take observations of air temperature, surface temperature, and land cover. 

Here are the results! 

View the Land Cover observations from the challenge.

Congratulations and thank you to the following individuals who took at least one measurement for each day of the World Cup: 

An array of down photos submitted with observations showing soccer balls (footballs) and feet.

  • Yusra Aldhawi, NENA
  • Fakhria Alblushi, NENA
  • Bohdana Vasylchyshyn, Europe Eurasia
  • Viktoria Kasapović, Europe Eurasia
  • Snježana Marković-Zoraja, Europe Eurasia
  • Hedaya Alfarsy, NENA
  • David Ekong, Africa
  • Ali Alkhafeery, NENA
  • Kaigama Ishaku, Africa
  • Folahan Adeyemo, Africa

Congratulations to our regional teams!

Region with:

  • The most active team members: North America
  • The most air temperature observations: Near East and North Africa
  • The most land cover observations: Near East and North Africa
  • The most surface temperature observations: Near East and North Africa

Regional Results

Examples of land cover observations showing fields from Nigeria, Thailand, and Croatia.

Africa:

  • Active participants: 7
  • # Air temperature measurements: 108
  • # Land cover observations: 63
  • # Surface temperature measurements: 75

Asia and Pacific:

  • Active participants: 4
  • # Air temperature measurements: 12
  • # Land cover observations: 5
  • # Surface temperature measurements: 0

Europe and Eurasia:

  • Active participants: 5
  • # Air temperature measurements: 173
  • # Land cover observations: 85
  • # Surface temperature measurements: 139

Examples of land cover observations showing fields from Peru, Oman, and the USA.

Latin American and Caribbean:

  • Active participants: 1
  • # Air temperature measurements: 0
  • # Land cover observations: 1
  • # Surface temperature measurements: 0

Near East and North Africa:

  • Active participants: 5
  • # Air temperature measurements: 1,350
  • # Land cover observations: 170
  • # Surface temperature measurements: 855

North America:

  • Active participants: 10
  • # Air temperature measurements: 14
  • # Land cover observations: 52
  • # Surface temperature measurements: 63

Curious how sports field surface temperatures differ in different climates? Check out this study by NASA SEES students.

Originally posted in GLOBE News.


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