The 2026 FIFA World Cup is here and I’m watching every match with a themed snack — empanadas for Argentina, bánh mì bites for Vietnam, currywurst-inspired dips for Germany, and more. These aren’t complicated. They’re fun, they’re fast, and they make the matches feel like an actual event.

The World Cup only happens every four years and I refuse to waste it on a bag of chips.

I’m not saying I’m going to cook a full feast for every single group stage game — I’m not a monster. But I am saying that if Argentina is playing, there are going to be empanadas on the coffee table. That’s just the deal I’ve made with myself.

So here’s the actual menu. Every match gets something. Some of it’s ambitious, most of it isn’t. All of it is going to make the game better.

Why themed snacks make the World Cup actually fun

The FIFA World Cup is the only sporting event where you’re genuinely watching countries you’d otherwise never think about fight for something that matters to them more than anything. That deserves more than a bowl of Tostitos.

Themed snacks force you to pay attention. You look up the country, you figure out what they eat, and suddenly you care a little more about whether Senegal makes it out of the group stage. It’s a cheap trick that works every time.

Argentina matches — empanadas, obviously

Argentina empanadas are the move and I don’t want to hear any other suggestions. Ground beef, green olives, a little cumin, folded into store-bought pie crust if I’m being honest with you.

The baked version takes about 30 minutes. The fried version takes 15 but also takes a year off your life. I make the baked version and I feel fine about it. Back when I put together my go-to party food list, empanadas almost made the cut — this is their moment.

Mexico matches — street corn dip

Elote dip is easier than making actual corn on the cob and somehow more dangerous because you will eat the entire bowl before kickoff. Canned corn, mayo, cotija, lime juice, chili powder, done.

Serve it with tortilla chips. Serve it warm. Don’t overthink it.

Germany matches — currywurst dip

Currywurst as a dip sounds weird until you taste it and then you want to apologize to Germany for every joke you’ve ever made. It’s ketchup, curry powder, a little Worcestershire, served warm with bratwurst sliced up for dipping.

Yes, you can find bratwurst at basically every grocery store. Yes, it’s worth it.

Japan matches — onigiri-style rice bites

Onigiri are rice balls — sticky rice, a little seasoned filling in the middle, wrapped in nori. They look impressive and they’re actually pretty forgiving to make if you keep a bowl of water nearby so the rice doesn’t stick to your hands constantly.

Filling options: tuna with mayo, pickled plum, or just plain soy sauce if you’re keeping it simple. Japan’s matches tend to be technical and methodical. The snack should match that energy.

USA matches — regional food bracket

The United States doesn’t have one food, it has fifty arguments about food, and I think that’s worth leaning into. I’m picking a different American regional snack for each USA match.

First match: Chicago-style pigs in a blanket (meaning actually good mustard is involved). Second match: Buffalo chicken dip because it is the correct dip. Third match: whatever I feel like, honestly, because that’s also very American.

Brazil matches — pão de queijo

Brazilian cheese bread — pão de queijo — is naturally gluten-free, made with tapioca flour, and has this chewy stretchy pull that is completely addictive. The frozen version from the grocery store is legitimately good. I’m not ashamed to say that.

Pop them in the oven during the warmup and they’re ready by kickoff. That’s the dream scenario.

Spain matches — patatas bravas

Patatas bravas are fried potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce and an aioli drizzle and they are arguably the best bar snack in the world. Spain plays beautiful soccer. The snack should be beautiful too.

I cube the potatoes, roast them instead of frying them because I don’t want to deal with a pot of hot oil on a Tuesday, and make the bravas sauce from canned tomatoes and smoked paprika. It works.

England matches — sausage rolls

England will probably break my heart before the tournament is over and I’m making sausage rolls anyway. Puff pastry, seasoned pork sausage, egg wash, 20 minutes in the oven.

Sausage rolls are actually one of the best snacks on this entire list and I will stand by that. They reheat well, they travel well, and they pair well with the specific kind of nervous energy that watching England generates.

Senegal matches — thiéboudienne-inspired rice cups

Thiéboudienne is Senegal’s national dish — a fish and rice situation that’s deeply flavored and genuinely one of the best things you can make if you have a few hours. I don’t always have a few hours, so I make a simplified version in small cups.

Seasoned rice, flaky fish (canned works), a little tomato and pepper. It’s a nod, not a replica, and I think that’s okay. The point is to show up for the match.

Morocco matches — harissa chicken skewers

Morocco had the best World Cup run in recent memory back in 2022 — they made the semifinals and the entire country lost its mind in the best possible way. Per FIFA’s own tournament records, it was the deepest run any African nation had ever made. I’m rooting for them to do it again.

Harissa chicken skewers: chicken thighs marinated in harissa paste, lemon, garlic, olive oil. Grill them or broil them. Serve with flatbread and yogurt sauce. This is a full mood.

The snacks I’m keeping on standby for every match

Not every match gets a themed snack — there are 104 games in the 2026 World Cup. One hundred and four. I love food but I’m not losing my mind over group stage games between countries I’m mildly curious about.

So the standby rotation is: good cheese, whatever crackers aren’t stale, olives, and that one salami I always buy but never remember the name of. In my roundup of easy appetizers that actually impress people, that combination shows up more than once and for good reason. It never fails.

What I’m making for the final

Whoever is in the final gets empanadas AND sausage rolls, because by that point in the tournament I’ve decided both teams deserve my best work. Also I’ll be emotionally invested in at least one of them by then and stress-cooking is a personality trait I’ve fully accepted.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 runs across the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer. There are games basically every single day during group stage. That’s a lot of snacks. I’m ready.

Look, the World Cup is going to happen whether or not you put any effort into the experience. But effort — even just the small kind, even just a bowl of themed dip — makes it feel like something.

Four years is a long time to wait. Might as well eat well while you’re watching.

I’ll be updating this as the tournament goes on, because I fully reserve the right to change my mind about the harissa chicken situation once I actually try to make it on a weeknight.