2026 World Cup, by the Numbers.
From 13 teams in 1930 to:
⚽ 48 teams
⚽ 104 matches
👥 1,248 players
🎟️ 6M+ attendees
🌍 5B+ viewers
💰 $871M prize pool
📈 ~$13B FIFA revenue
🌎 ~$40.9B economic impact
The World Cup has evolved from a football tournament into a global platform spanning media, technology, tourism, betting, payments, and sponsorships.
We're putting the finishing touches on our deep dive into the businesses and technologies powering the biggest World Cup ever.
Coming later this week.
🛰️ The satellite industry is entering a new era.
Starlink now operates over 10,500 satellites, while Amazon LEO, OneWeb, Planet Labs, AST SpaceMobile, and others are building networks for broadband, Earth observation, and space-based intelligence.
The chart below compares the active satellites and long-term plans of some of the industry’s leading operators. (Data: https://t.co/x3bsHhDMMe and company disclosures)
We’ve just published a full Satellite Industry Report exploring the history, technology, economics, and future of the orbital economy, check it out on https://t.co/aUVs9EaVFA
W-6 is back.
This flight pushed on two fronts: autonomous hypersonic navigation and next-generation thermal protection systems.
High-cadence reentry missions in repeatable conditions.
Our Stage 1 structure is now shipped, delivered, and ready for testing in Moses Lake, WA. Standing in its full vertical orientation, this flight hardware will be thoroughly vetted before returning to Kent for some final touches before the journey to Cape Canaveral, FL begins.
New research report out - We followed @SpaceX’s journey from Falcon 1 to Starship, breaking down how reusability, Raptor engines, stainless steel, and Starlink could reshape the economics of space, and potentially make orbital AI infrastructure not just viable but attractive. 🚀🛰️⚡
Ron Baron in new interview on the upcoming @SpaceX IPO: "I think the company over the next 10 or 15 years is going to be worth $10 trillion, $20 trillion, $30 trillion, and I could be very low."
Baron Capital has invested a total of $1.7 billion in SpaceX over the years, which is now worth over $15 billion.
SPACEX'S ROAD TO GETTING STUFF TO ORBIT FOR LESS THAN $200 PER KG
2008, Falcon 1: $15,952 per kg
2015, Falcon 9 v1.1: $3,732 per kg
2026, Falcon 9 Block 5: $1,110 per kg
2026, Starship V2-V3: $820-980 per kg
2029, Starship V3+: $169-200 per kg
2031, Starship V3-V4: $89-105 per kg
2035+, Starship V5+: $23-28 per kg
(Photo Credit @JarsyInc)
Three years since the first flight of Starship, the next generation is here. New ship. New booster. New engines. New pad and new test site. SpaceX engineers are working to solve one of the most difficult engineering challenges in history: developing a fully, rapidly reusable rocket