NASA administrator Jared Isaacman makes a conditional pledge to send a soccer ball to the Moon if the United States wins the FIFA World Cup in 2026. Speaking at an event outlining NASA’s plans for a lunar base, Isaacman rallied Team USA players, saying, “get the job done,” and promising, “We’re going to get the soccer ball there.” The officials referenced that NASA has already sent a FIFA ball to the International Space Station as the U.S. co-hosts the 2026 tournament with Mexico and Canada.
Isaacman also compared the effort to a historic Apollo-era moment: in 1971, astronaut Alan Shepard took a few golf swings on the Moon. Isaacman said the U.S. would “one-up” that example by delivering a soccer ball instead. NASA program manager Carlos Garcia-Galan said that if the U.S. wins, NASA would “absolutely find space” for the item on a payload that would include scientific instruments for the agency’s broader Moon-base plans. He noted the ball’s weight would allow it to be included.
