Welcome to The Tap-Inn. Where you can tap in to the world of soccer with me, your Irish Tap-Inn bartender, Joe. 🍻

One week from today, the 2026 World Cup kicks off at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. That’s just enough time to convince all your friends to sign up to read The Tap-Inn and understand soccer before the tournament begins. Just a thought…

On tap today:

Ready? Let's tap in.

With just one week to go until we add 2026 to the tournament’s 22-edition history, here is The Tap-Inn’s definitive list of the greatest World Cups of all time.

The first one. And somehow still the most unhinged.

Here's a quick list of (just some of) the things that happened:

And as for the final?

Enjoy this short documentary on the unforgettable tournament here.

The context alone gives you chills. Twenty-one years after the end of World War Two. England vs West Germany at Wembley. The Allies vs the Axis, settled on a soccer pitch.

Geoff Hurst scored the only hat-trick in World Cup final history. His third goal — crashing off the underside of the crossbar — sparked one of soccer's great controversies. Did it cross the line? The Soviet linesman said yes. West Germany still says no.

Bobby Moore lifted the trophy. It's the only one England has ever lifted. They will remind you of this until the sun goes cold.

Oh, and the trophy was briefly stolen before being found by a dog in a park.

Before we talk about the tournament, let's talk about the man.

Pelé was 29 years old at the 1970 World Cup and already a two-time champion. He scored four goals and set up six more. Better refereeing also meant that he had more protection from brutal opposition tackling, resulting in ‘The King’ being free to truly show off his never-before-seen skills.

The rest of the team was extraordinary too. Jairzinho scored in every single game. Carlos Alberto's goal in the 4-1 final win over Italy is still the greatest team goal ever scored — drink it in here.

The semifinal — Italy 4-3 Germany in extra time — even earned its own commemorative plaque on the Azteca wall and has forever since been dubbed, "The Game of the Century."

One man. Diego Maradona.

This one is simple. Diego Maradona was the greatest player in the world, playing the greatest tournament of his life, and he won the whole thing. Argentina beat West Germany 3-2 in the final. Along the way, in the quarterfinal against England, he scored the most controversial goal in history — The Hand of God — and then, four minutes later, the greatest. Both in the same game. That's his World Cup. We'll leave it there.

The greatest final ever played. Mbappé scored a hat-trick — and still lost. 2-0 Argentina to 2-2 in three minutes. Then 3-2 in extra time. Then 3-3. Then penalties. Messi finally got the trophy he needed. If you ever watch one soccer game in your life, make it that final.

One footnote: how Qatar got to host remains one of soccer's most controversial stories. FIFA awarded it in 2010, and a Swiss criminal investigation, a US Department of Justice probe, and years of serious journalism have all strongly suggested that votes were bought. Several FIFA officials were convicted of corruption. Qatar has never been charged. But the word "bribe" appears alongside "2022 World Cup" in a lot of reputable places. Draw your own conclusions…

Just seven days to go.

With one week to go, the big nations are getting their final warm-up tests in:

Before the first ball is even kicked, the brands are going at it — and honestly? Some of these are worth your time. My picks of the bunch so far below:

Quick question: if your wedding — booked two and a half years ago — ended up slap-bang in the middle of World Cup training camp, what would you do?

That's exactly what happened to USMNT midfielder Brenden Aaronson. The date was set, the venue was booked, and then the camp schedule moved. He walked into Pochettino's office in March and offered to change the date. Pochettino told him to go get married.

And so he did, before leaving at 2:30AM on the night of his own wedding to jet off to training. The squad's send-off advice? "Good luck. Don't mess it up. Say 'I do.'"

Next round’s on me, champ.

How many continents have ever produced a World Cup winner?

Answer at the bottom 👇

The United States Men's National Team faces Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago on Saturday — their final warm-up before the tournament begins in earnest. Tickets are still available here.

Mauricio Pochettino's side beat Senegal 3-2 last Sunday in a genuinely encouraging performance. Christian Pulisic ran the show. That result mattered after some rough nights earlier in the year. Now four-time World Cup winners Germany roll into Chicago.

Think of it this way: this is the USMNT's last shift before the pub opens for the biggest weekend of the year. You don't wing it — you make sure everything is stocked, the team knows their jobs, and nobody bottles it under pressure. Getting the balance right in midfield and defense is Poch's main priority before June 12, when the US open against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The all-time head-to-head against Germany reads 4 wins for the US, 8 for Germany. A result Saturday wouldn't just be good preparation. It'd be a statement.

Also on tap:

Phrase: Trivela

Origin: Pure Portuguese. "Tri" (three) and "vela" (sail). Portuguese winger Ricardo Quaresma didn't invent this type of kick, but he made it his entire personality.

Definition: A pass or shot struck with the outside of the foot, curling the ball the opposite direction to what the goalkeeper expects. A right-footed trivela curves left to right.

Usage: "Quaresma scored with the outside of his boot again? That fella absolutely loves a trivela.”

June 5, 1938: Exactly 88 years ago today, the Dutch East Indies — now Indonesia — became the first Asian team ever to play in a FIFA World Cup. The tournament was in France. They got there without winning a single qualifying match: Japan withdrew, the United States withdrew, and FIFA handed them the spot.

They traveled by ship for several weeks to get there. They lost 6-0 to Hungary. The straight knockout format sent them straight home — one match, one World Cup, one continent's debut.

Eighty-eight years later, Indonesia have finally qualified for the 2026 edition on their own merit. Nice.

Norway are back at a World Cup for the first time in 28 years — and they've announced themselves accordingly.

Pictured above is the Norwegian squad, dressed as Vikings on an Oslo beach, shot by David Yarrow — the same photographer who captured Maradona lifting the trophy in 1986.

The Vikings beat Columbus to North America by 500 years. Now they're rowing back with Haaland.

Every single World Cup winner in history has come from either Europe or South America.

South America has 10 titles — Brazil (5), Argentina (3), Uruguay (2). Europe has 12 — Germany (4), Italy (4), France (2), England (1), Spain (1).

Africa, Asia, North and Central America, and Oceania are still waiting.