KUALA LUMPUR — The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has pledged to send a football to the Moon if the United States wins the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in a symbolic show of support for the national team as excitement builds ahead of the tournament.
According to AFP, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman made the pledge during an event outlining plans for a future lunar base, where he backed the US squad and described their World Cup campaign in mission-like terms.
“The mission of the US national team is to win the World Cup,” Isaacman said, urging the players to “complete the mission”.
Drawing a comparison with space history, Isaacman referenced astronaut Alan Shepard’s famous 1971 lunar achievement, when he became the first person to hit a golf ball on the Moon. He said NASA would attempt to go one step further.
“We will outdo Alan Shepard. If the US wins the World Cup, we will send a soccer ball to the Moon,” he said.
“I hope this serves as a small motivation for the US national team,” he added.
Carlos Garcia Galan, NASA’s lunar base programme manager, echoed the pledge and said logistics would not be a concern if the promise was fulfilled.
“If the US wins the World Cup, we will make sure to find room on the spacecraft for a soccer ball,” he said, adding that the ball’s weight would not present any technical challenge.
“A soccer ball is light, so there is no problem with transport. Now everything depends on the US men’s national soccer team. Good luck,” he added.
Ahead of the tournament, NASA has already played a promotional role by sending the official match ball, named “Trionda”, to the International Space Station (ISS).
A video released by the agency showed the ball floating inside the ISS, adding a space-themed twist to the build-up for football’s biggest competition.
The United States, one of the co-hosts of the 2026 tournament, has also made a strong start on the field, finishing top of its group stage. The team is scheduled to face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 tomorrow. – July 1, 2026