NASA administrator Jared Isaacman tells Team USA players that NASA will send a soccer ball to the Moon if the United States wins the FIFA World Cup. Speaking at an event describing NASA’s plans for a Moon base, Isaacman frames the pledge as a motivating challenge for the 2026 tournament. He says, “We’re going to get the soccer ball there,” referring to the idea of going beyond earlier lunar milestones.
Reporting across outlets notes that NASA has already sent a FIFA ball to the International Space Station, and Isaacman’s pledge would represent a further step if Team USA succeeds in the tournament. The International Space Station ball is cited as a precedent, while a potential lunar mission would involve transporting the soccer ball as part of a payload that also includes scientific instruments. NASA program manager Carlos Garcia-Galan says NASA would “find space” for such a payload if the condition is met, and he adds that the ball is light enough to make the trip, while acknowledging the outcome depends on the team’s performance.
