The 2026 FIFA World Cup sent Kenyans to Google in record numbers, making it the most searched edition of the tournament in the country's history as fans looked beyond the scores to learn more about football stars, match-day traditions, stadium culture and the technology behind the game.
New Google data shows the month-long competition sparked wide interest in every part of the global event, both on and off the pitch.
Although the matches remained the biggest attraction, many fans also searched for public viewing venues, football customs and details about the official World Cup match ball.
The tournament, which was held from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, attracted billions of viewers around the world and recorded unprecedented online engagement.
Argentina's dramatic stoppage-time win over Egypt in the Round of 16 generated Google's highest-ever search traffic globally, setting a new record for search queries per second during a World Cup match.
Among Kenyan fans, France versus Morocco attracted the highest number of searches. Brazil against Norway ranked second, followed by Brazil versus Japan, Norway against England and Portugal versus Spain.
The excitement was not limited to the matches. As the tournament reached its final stages, more Kenyans searched for places where they could watch the games with fellow supporters. Google data shows searches for public World Cup viewing venues rose by 700 percent during the final two weeks of the competition. Interest in "World Cup finale watch parties" also climbed by 160 percent ahead of the final, showing the growing appeal of fan parks, restaurants and entertainment spots during major football events.
Football traditions also caught the attention of many supporters. Searches for "La Ola", better known as the Mexican wave, increased by 130 percent compared with the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as fans sought to learn more about one of the sport's best-known crowd celebrations.
African players remained among the most searched football personalities in Kenya. Egypt captain Mohamed Salah led the list, followed by Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, South Africa midfielder Jayden Adams and Morocco internationals Achraf Hakimi and Ismael Saibari.
Some of football's biggest names continued to dominate online conversations throughout the tournament. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Ferran Torres were among the players most searched by Kenyan fans.
Google says Messi attracted only 10 percent more searches than Ronaldo during the tournament, showing the long-running rivalry between the two stars continues to capture the attention of football fans. Searches for the question "Who is the GOAT of football?" also doubled as supporters debated the greatest player of all time.
The official FIFA World Cup match ball also became a popular topic online. During the opening week of the tournament, searches about the ball increased by 290 percent as fans sought answers on how it is made, what type of air it contains, whether it is rechargeable and what makes it different from a regular football.