2026 World Cup Key News Central News Agency (Central News Agency, Washington, July 1st, Comprehensive Foreign News) The 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is currently in its Round of 16 knockout stage. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson promised today that if the "Stars and Stripes" win the championship, a soccer ball will be sent to the moon. According to Agence France-Presse, NASA had previously sent an official FIFA match ball to the International Space Station (ISS). Nelson said at an event introducing NASA's lunar base plan: "This is the challenge, okay, so Team USA, go get the job done." If the US truly wins the championship, Nelson vowed to send the soccer ball farther than ever before. He specifically mentioned that American astronaut Alan Shepard hit a golf ball on the moon in 1971. "We're going to one-up Shepard, we're going to send a soccer ball there. So, consider this a little motivation for Team USA." The "Stars and Stripes," who reached the quarterfinals in the 2002 World Cup, will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 16 of this tournament. (Intern Editor: Hong Yu-tong / Editor: Chen Yan-jun) 1150701 Stand with facts, your every contribution is a force to protect press freedom Download the CNA "One-Hand News" APP to get the latest news in real-time No part of this website's text, images, or videos may be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.