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Google has launched a dynamic series of interactive Doodles to celebrate the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, transforming its homepage with football-themed animations and tournament-focused features as the global competition gets underway.
To mark the kickoff of the FIFA World Cup on June 11, 2026, Google replaced its classic logo with creative animated Doodles inspired by iconic football moves and the tournament's host nations. The company plans to update the artwork daily throughout the competition, offering users a fresh football-themed experience during the five-week event, as per Google's official website. The opening-day Doodle highlighted "The Volley," showcasing the classic football technique in which a player strikes the ball while it is still in mid-air. The following day, Google introduced "The Nutmeg," spotlighting the skilful dribbling move where a player sends the ball through an opponent's legs. Alongside the football-inspired animations, Google has also rolled out localised Doodles for the tournament's three host countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada. These custom designs trace the historical evolution of each nation's football crest, adding a regional element to the celebration. Users who click on the FIFA World Cup Doodle are redirected to a dedicated search hub designed to keep fans updated throughout the tournament. The centralised feature provides access to real-time match results, current group standings, complete schedules and major tournament highlights, allowing football followers to track developments from a single destination. Google has also released a promotional short film illustrating how football brings people together around the world as the World Cup begins. The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks a significant change in tournament history with the introduction of a 48-team format, expanding from the traditional 32-team structure used in previous editions. Co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, the tournament will feature 104 matches across a 39-day schedule, up from the previous total of 64 games. Under the new format, teams are divided into 12 groups of four, labelled Groups A through L. Each nation will play three group-stage matches. The top two teams from each group will automatically qualify for the knockout phase, joined by the eight best third-place finishers. This creates a 32-team knockout bracket and introduces a new Round of 32 stage before the competition progresses toward the final. As a result of the additional knockout round, teams reaching the semi-finals will now play eight matches instead of seven on their journey through the tournament. (ANI)
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