Key Highlights
- NASA has promised to send a FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer ball to the moon if the U.S. men’s team wins.
- The idea was announced by NASA chief Jared Isaacman during an Artemis update.
- The move would mark another sports-related moment in lunar history after Alan Shepard’s golf shot in 1971.
NASA has said it will send a FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer ball to the moon, but only if the U.S. men’s national team wins the tournament.
The announcement came from Jared Isaacman during a livestreamed press event on Tuesday, where the agency shared updates on its Artemis moon program.
Isaacman made the comment while speaking about future lunar missions, adding a sports twist to NASA’s plans.
“So, a little bit of motivation for the United States here on this one,” Isaacman said. “We’re going to one-up Alan Shepard in the golf game on the lunar surface, and we’re going to get the soccer ball there.”
The remark refers to Alan Shepard, who famously hit golf balls on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission in 1971, becoming the first person to play a sport on another world.
Soccer Ball Could Join Future Artemis Mission
Unlike Shepard’s golf shot, which was an unofficial addition to the mission, the soccer ball idea would be part of a planned payload if the U.S. team wins.
Isaacman said it is still unclear which lunar lander would carry it, but the idea has support from NASA’s Moon Base team.
During the same event, Carlos García-Galán responded to Isaacman by saying the team would take on the challenge.
“We will take on that challenge,” García-Galán said. “It will be super exciting to do that if they win.”
The idea ties into NASA’s broader effort to connect space exploration with everyday interests and public engagement.
U.S. Faces Tough Road in Tournament
The U.S. men’s team still has a long way to go before any moon trip becomes reality.
The team advanced from the group stage after wins over Paraguay and Australia before a loss to Turkiye in its final group match.
If they continue advancing, tougher opponents are likely ahead, including possible matchups against traditional football powers like Spain.
NASA has already sent one official FIFA World Cup 2026 ball to the International Space Station earlier this year, where astronauts played with it in orbit.
Now, if the U.S. wins it all, the next stop for that ball could be much farther – the moon.
