Jared Isaacman, Administrator of NASA, has announced that the agency will send an official 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer ball to the Moon if the United States men's national team wins the tournament.

Speaking during a livestreamed press conference, Isaacman said:

"This is a little incentive for the United States. We'll outdo Alan Shepard's golf game on the Moon—and we'll get a soccer ball there."

Building on Apollo History

According to Space.com, Alan Shepard, commander of Apollo 14, famously carried two golf balls and a makeshift club aboard the mission.

On February 6, 1971, Shepard hit the golf balls on the lunar surface, becoming the first person in history to play a sport on another celestial body.

Unlike Shepard's personal initiative, the proposed soccer ball mission would be an official NASA project, backed by both Isaacman and Carlos Garcia-Galan, Director of NASA's Lunar Base Program.

Part of Artemis Discussions

Isaacman made the announcement during NASA's second monthly update on its plans to establish a permanent human presence near the Moon's south pole through the Artemis program.

When asked how the soccer ball would be delivered, Isaacman said:

"I don't know which lunar lander will be used."

Turning to Garcia-Galan, he added:

"I'll leave the payload logistics to you."

Garcia-Galan responded:

"We'll accept the challenge. It would be incredibly exciting if they win. Good luck."