The World Cup
measured data by data.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has become the largest connectivity laboratory in history: 48 national teams, 16 host cities spread across three countries, and millions of fans who, match after match, put mobile networks through one of the toughest stress tests there is. This report analyzes that phenomenon using data collected by World Cup 5G, the TeleSemana platform that estimates data traffic at every stadium in real time through a model that factors in venue capacity, fans' digital habits and the events unfolding on and off the pitch — figures that are not publicly available and are reconstructed here event by event.

Beyond total volumes, it draws conclusions about how and when the network comes under strain: why the moment of peak congestion is not the goal but the halftime break, why instantaneous peaks and cumulative volume rarely coincide, and why traffic reflects public interest before it reflects stadium capacity. From these patterns, it identifies the incidents and pressure points facing operators, infrastructure providers and host cities.