Data Vis Dispatch, July 14: FIFA World Cup, heat in Europe, and Middle East alliances

Welcome back to the 253rd edition of the Data Vis Dispatch! Every week, we’re publishing a collection of the best small and large data visualizations we find, especially from news organizations — to celebrate data journalism, data visualization, simple charts, elaborate maps, and their creators.

Recurring topics this week include the FIFA World Cup, the heat in Europe, and Middle East alliances.

The FIFA World Cup is still in full swing. (For those of you who really aren't interested: it's only five more days!) This week, people visualized the Europe-centeredness of football, where to aim if you find yourself in the (un?)fortunate position of taking a penalty kick, and how Airbnbs, not hotels, made the most money in US host cities.

Alexander Bogachev: "Every 2026 World Cup match as a 3D 'data portrait' — each built from ~1,500 events. Not to show stats. To capture the emotion," July 8 (X, website)

The Economist: <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2026/07/10/where-is-the-home-of-football?giftId=NjIwODRiYWItNDAwMC00NWM0LWFiNTYtNTMyM2I1NTk1OGFkdGVnX3VzZXI%3D&source=internal"><strong>Where is the home of football?</strong></a>, July 10 — The Economist: **Where is the home of football?**, July 10

Ralph Spandl: "Preparing a new micro website with team stats of the #WorldCup2026. Preview - should be ready before we know who wins," July 10 (Bluesky)

Reuters: <a href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/SOCCER-WORLDCUP/zgvolqqoypd/2026-07-10/top-scorers-battle/"><strong>Mbappé closes within one goal of World Cup scoring record as France reach semifinals</strong></a>, July 10 — Reuters: **Mbappé closes within one goal of World Cup scoring record as France reach semifinals**, July 10

Micah McCurdy: "I made viz from one million sims that shows the chances and the pathways for each team through the tournament [...] Update after the quarterfinals," July 12, (Bluesky)

YouGov: <a href="https://yougov.com/en-gb/daily-results/20260709-ad1de-1"><strong>Do you think there should or should not be a bank holiday in England if the England team win the World Cup?</strong></a>, July 9 — YouGov: **Do you think there should or should not be a bank holiday in England if the England team win the World Cup?**, July 9

The Wall Street Journal: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/sports/soccer/can-you-save-a-penalty-kick-play-our-game-to-find-out-7e1d84cc?mod=e2twg"><strong>Can You Save a Penalty Kick? Play Our Game to Find Out</strong></a>, July 7 — The Wall Street Journal: **Can You Save a Penalty Kick? Play Our Game to Find Out**, July 7

Datawrapper Blog: <a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/blog/football-goals-analysis"><strong>How to score goals, statistically</strong></a>, July 9 — Datawrapper Blog: **How to score goals, statistically**, July 9

Financial Times: <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/21d4a393-701d-4da7-847c-bd53e95ac295?accessToken=zwAAAZ9fTVTrkc8h1KOTcB1Np9OEfL1T6VrClQ.MEUCICVzA_I_xBic75flWyY5wUyZV4fTdDt-vh5ajrofPEY-AiEAuBXC7dEiaN_IOQGCbqpO4RwHLnry6dfNV9pfEpqiR_Y&segmentId=e95a9ae7-622c-6235-5f87-51e412b47e97&shareId=20e3f933-ee9f-457c-ab4d-4057927fffae&shareType=enterprise&syn-25a6b1a6=1"><strong>Airbnb lures fans from US hotels after World Cup marketing push</strong></a>, July 12 — Financial Times: **Airbnb lures fans from US hotels after World Cup marketing push**, July 12

Speaking of Europe: it's been hot here. Reuters created a heatwave tracker just for the continent, and the Financial Times plotted the increase in tropical nights. Trees would help with the heat, but they're often missing – as are the air conditioners so common in the US.

Reuters: <a href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/CLIMATE-AUTOMATED/MONITOR/akpeykqqapr/western-europe/"><strong>Tracking Western Europe’s heatwave</strong></a>, July 10 — Reuters: **Tracking Western Europe’s heatwave**, July 10

The Guardian: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/13/june-heatwave-killed-440-people-a-day-england-wales-data-suggests-climate-crisis?CMP=bsky_gu_env"><strong>June heatwave killed up to 440 people a day in England and Wales, data suggests</strong></a>, July 13 — The Guardian: **June heatwave killed up to 440 people a day in England and Wales, data suggests**, July 13

Giulia Mezzadri: "Silvia Romanelli and I created a data visualization exploring the 37 marine heatwaves recorded in the waters surrounding Italy between 2008 and 2025. The visualization transforms nearly two decades of sea surface temperature data into a visual timeline, revealing how these events have become more frequent and longer-lasting, and how they are not confined to the summer months. [...]," July 8 (<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/giulia-mezzadri_datavisualization-dataviz-climatechange-activity-7480519255873101824-9VZ9?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAifR8QB0orFVxfCEd0a_19fPLQbH5RBpuA"><strong>LinkedIn</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/251579853/Italys-Warming-Waters"><strong>Behance</strong></a>) — Giulia Mezzadri: "Silvia Romanelli and I created a data visualization exploring the 37 marine heatwaves recorded in the waters surrounding Italy between 2008 and 2025. The visualization transforms nearly two decades of sea surface temperature data into a visual timeline, revealing how these events have become more frequent and longer-lasting, and how they are not confined to the summer months. [...]," July 8 (**LinkedIn**, **Behance**)

El País: <a href="https://elpais.com/clima-y-medio-ambiente/2026-07-08/como-de-extremo-es-este-calor-los-datos-de-una-anomalia-historica-en-europa.html"><strong>¿Cómo de extremo es este calor? Los datos de una anomalía histórica en Europa</strong></a> <em>[Map title: Anomaly Forecast for Saturday, July 11; difference from the average in degrees Celsius]</em>, July 8 — El País: **¿Cómo de extremo es este calor? Los datos de una anomalía histórica en Europa** *[Map title: Anomaly Forecast for Saturday, July 11; difference from the average in degrees Celsius]*, July 8

Financial Times: <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d78ed235-b157-4564-a099-2c7e350f0956?accessToken=zwAAAZ9a9I1KkdPXjtI1sVdFZNOgmSx-NQ8JVg.MEQCIH2UKj-Xc9I35BcTerFndnFEqWjSS95x2Awq0GDvO54UAiBLdgXA6y27oCQyr0T1Cbhuht59nZ0qUCnVN1LgLQAKdg&segmentId=e95a9ae7-622c-6235-5f87-51e412b47e97&shareId=bd71c2bb-71bb-43a7-9812-c8fabe7f1125&shareType=enterprise&syn-25a6b1a6=1"><strong>Tropical nights come to Europe</strong></a>, July 11 — Financial Times: **Tropical nights come to Europe**, July 11

The European Correspondent: <a href="https://europeancorrespondent.com/en/r/concrete-jungles"><strong>Concrete jungles</strong></a>, July 7 — The European Correspondent: **Concrete jungles**, July 7

Maps.com: <a href="https://www.maps.com/mapping-us-access-to-air-conditioning/"><strong>Air Conditioning Is Ubiquitous in the US</strong></a>, July 13 — Maps.com: **Air Conditioning Is Ubiquitous in the US**, July 13

The Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2026/07/10/track-how-extreme-this-years-el-nio-could-get/"><strong>Track how extreme this year’s El Niño could get</strong></a>, July 10 — The Washington Post: **Track how extreme this year’s El Niño could get**, July 10

In very related news: wildfires have spread more than usual in Spain and France, as both Le Monde and The Guardian show with a scary-looking line chart.

El País: <a href="https://elpais.com/espana/2026-07-10/que-se-sabe-del-lugar-mapa-del-fatal-incendio-en-almeria.html"><strong>¿Qué papel jugaron el viento y el calor? Mapas del fatal incendio en Almería</strong></a>, July 10 — El País: **¿Qué papel jugaron el viento y el calor? Mapas del fatal incendio en Almería**, July 10

Le Monde: <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2026/07/11/visualisez-l-etendue-des-incendies-en-france-en-carte-et-graphique_6722679_4355770.html"><strong>Visualisez l’étendue des incendies en France, en carte et graphique</strong></a><strong> </strong><em>[View the extent of wildfires in France on maps and charts]</em>, July 11 — Le Monde: **Visualisez l’étendue des incendies en France, en carte et graphique** *[View the extent of wildfires in France on maps and charts]*, July 11

The Guardian: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/09/western-europe-records-hottest-ever-june-as-heatwaves-intensify?CMP=share_btn_url"><strong>Western Europe records hottest-ever June as heatwaves intensify</strong></a>, July 9 — The Guardian: **Western Europe records hottest-ever June as heatwaves intensify**, July 9

How much cheaper is it to drive an EV than a gas car? How fossil-fuel-based is Germany's electricity mix? And how quickly is the country moving away from those fossil fuels? This week's energy charts have the answers.

The Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2026/07/13/heres-how-much-money-ev-drivers-are-saving-your-state/"><strong>Here’s how much money EV drivers are saving in your state</strong></a>, July 13 — The Washington Post: **Here’s how much money EV drivers are saving in your state**, July 13

NZZ: <a href="https://www.nzz.ch/visuals/stromtracker-strommix-deutschland-live-ld.10011948"><strong>Strommix in Deutschland live</strong></a> <em>[Germany's Electricity Mix in Real Time]</em>, July 10 — NZZ: **Strommix in Deutschland live** *[Germany's Electricity Mix in Real Time]*, July 10

ZEIT: <a href="https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/2026-07/erneuerbare-energie-wind-solar-strom-eeg"><strong>Ist das jetzt die Reiche-Delle?</strong></a><strong> </strong><em>[Chart title: How Solar Energy Expansion Is Progressing]</em>, July 14 — ZEIT: **Ist das jetzt die Reiche-Delle?** *[Chart title: How Solar Energy Expansion Is Progressing]*, July 14

There were quite a few charts about US politics this week: how the Democrats hope to regain control of both the House and the Senate in the midterms this November, the Supreme Court, Trump's sons, and the drop in the number of people traveling to the US.

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/07/13/opinion/midterms-pollsters-pundits-scorecard.html"><strong>Who Will Win the Midterms? 6 Pollsters and Pundits Make Educated Guesses</strong></a>, July 13 — The New York Times: **Who Will Win the Midterms? 6 Pollsters and Pundits Make Educated Guesses**, July 13

The Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/11/here-are-races-watch-democrats-grow-more-bullish-retaking-senate/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzgzNzQyNDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzg1MTI0Nzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3ODM3NDI0MDAsImp0aSI6ImFmMTJiMjdmLTQxZmItNGJmMy04MWZhLTI2NGZjMGFiMTY1YSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9wb2xpdGljcy8yMDI2LzA3LzExL2hlcmUtYXJlLXJhY2VzLXdhdGNoLWRlbW9jcmF0cy1ncm93LW1vcmUtYnVsbGlzaC1yZXRha2luZy1zZW5hdGUvIn0.L3wDHFGR6KX2yXjuCkBtfSjwQJLaEgkmuMp0qNaqFcU"><strong>Democrats are growing bullish on retaking the Senate. Here are the races to watch</strong></a>, July 11 — The Washington Post: **Democrats are growing bullish on retaking the Senate. Here are the races to watch**, July 11

USAFacts: <a href="https://usafacts.org/articles/the-viz-lab/supreme-court-tenure/"><strong>The Supreme Court has had 116 justices. Here's who put them there</strong></a>, July 9 — USAFacts: **The Supreme Court has had 116 justices. Here's who put them there**, July 9

The Wall Street Journal: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/samuel-alito-practical-originalism-06ce3159?mod=e2twg"><strong>Samuel Alito, a MAGA-Friendly Justice With a New Conservative Legal Vision</strong></a>, July 10 — The Wall Street Journal: **Samuel Alito, a MAGA-Friendly Justice With a New Conservative Legal Vision**, July 10

The Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2026/07/13/trumps-sons-invest-heavily-defense-fathers-administration-pours-money/"><strong>Trump’s sons invest heavily in defense tech as father’s administration pours money in</strong></a>, July 13 — The Washington Post: **Trump’s sons invest heavily in defense tech as father’s administration pours money in**, July 13

Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2026-trump-toll-on-global-travel/"><strong>Trump’s $40 Billion Travel Slump</strong></a>, July 7 — Bloomberg: **Trump’s $40 Billion Travel Slump**, July 7

The Iran war continues. Bloomberg charted how alliances in the Middle East have changed over the past 1,000 days, and Reuters put together a visual story on how the war drove up fertilizer prices.

The Wall Street Journal: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/trump-says-ceasefire-with-iran-is-over-6cf9675e?mod=e2twg"><strong>Trump Says Ceasefire With Iran Is Over After Latest Attacks</strong></a>, July 8 — The Wall Street Journal: **Trump Says Ceasefire With Iran Is Over After Latest Attacks**, July 8

Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2026-us-iran-war-middle-east-impact/?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc4NDAxMTY5MiwiZXhwIjoxNzg0NjE2NDkyLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUSTRUMEtLSVVQU0UwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJBNkU2QTk1Njc4RkE0MzY3OTQyQjBEOUJDMDY0QUNGMCJ9.aTa0BG0gWNj_Ao0RyYBH41E2IksqvFh-2x-mN7l3zZ4"><strong>1,000 Days of War and Upheaval That Reshaped the Middle East</strong></a>, July 13 <span class="badge">Great maps, too</span> — Bloomberg: **1,000 Days of War and Upheaval That Reshaped the Middle East**, July 13 Great maps, too

Reuters: The Iran War threatened a food crisis. The next Gulf conflict could do the same, July 9 Amazing transitions

They were also two (yes, two) big stories on ships in Asia trying not to be seen:

Financial Times: <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7b570ffb-55b1-4532-8127-05f25269f566?syn-25a6b1a6=1"><strong>Ships on Taiwan maritime blacklist also have North Korea smuggling ties</strong></a>, July 10 — Financial Times: **Ships on Taiwan maritime blacklist also have North Korea smuggling ties**, July 10

Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2026-indonesia-russia-oil-asia-hub/"><strong>A Tiny Island Near Singapore Has Become Asia’s Hub for Russian Oil</strong></a>, July 10 — Bloomberg: **A Tiny Island Near Singapore Has Become Asia’s Hub for Russian Oil**, July 10

"AI is coming," NBC News states. But is it coming for you and your skills? This week's charts tell you — and they explain how AI (and the tech behind it) works. Also, do these AI rebrands actually help companies make more money? The Financial Times takes a look.

NBC News: <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/job-site-data-shows-ai-jobs-increasing-rcna353336"><strong>The number of job titles that involve AI, even outside the tech world, is surging</strong></a>, July 8 — NBC News: **The number of job titles that involve AI, even outside the tech world, is surging**, July 8

San Francisco Chronicle: <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2026/ai-jobs-impact/"><strong>How exposed is your job to AI? Look up your profession</strong></a>, July 10 — San Francisco Chronicle: **How exposed is your job to AI? Look up your profession**, July 10

McKinsey: <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/week-in-charts/human-skills-in-the-age-of-automation"><strong>Human skills in the age of automation</strong></a>, July 9 — McKinsey: **Human skills in the age of automation**, July 9

Financial Times: <a href="https://ig.ft.com/transformers/"><strong>The century-old device choking the world’s AI push</strong></a>, July 9 <span class="badge">Neat animations</span> — Financial Times: **The century-old device choking the world’s AI push**, July 9 Neat animations

IBM: <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/news/what-does-ai-look-like"><strong>What does AI look like?</strong></a>, July 8 <span class="badge">Great explanation</span> — IBM: **What does AI look like?**, July 8 Great explanation

Financial Times: <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/07fa9ce9-ac21-484c-a57c-078b0bb0fd3b?accessToken=zwAAAZ9fZPcykc8H-pzprCFITNOlfAeLC7D9Ow.MEUCIQD5LeZn8ZP6N0dD1K_zRDjXYDpUlD7rdvvEQBx9g1FC-gIgE8nKd784FIKICa0LSdsy4ZZB9ChaPB8DoLQCA6BDlQw&segmentId=e95a9ae7-622c-6235-5f87-51e412b47e97&shareId=e063da3a-3b95-403b-aa15-ca2e0b9a87e4&shareType=enterprise&syn-25a6b1a6=1"><strong>How AI rebrands fail to deliver a lasting share price boost</strong></a>, July 11 — Financial Times: **How AI rebrands fail to deliver a lasting share price boost**, July 11

And in this week's "Other great visualizations we couldn't fit neatly in one of the other sections" section: aging and deaths in Hong Kong, academic freedom, female heads of state, baseball, and public transit in Switzerland.

South China Morning Post: <a href="https://multimedia.scmp.com/infographics/news/hong-kong/article/3357058/ageing-in-hk/?alichlgref=https%3A%2F%2Fbsky.app%2F"><strong>Ageing in Hong Kong</strong></a>, July 11 — South China Morning Post: **Ageing in Hong Kong**, July 11

South China Morning Post: <a href="https://multimedia.scmp.com/infographics/news/hong-kong/article/3358875/tai-po-hearing-4/?alichlgref=https%3A%2F%2Fbsky.app%2F"><strong>Reasons behind the heavy toll</strong></a>, July 14 — South China Morning Post: **Reasons behind the heavy toll**, July 14

Not-Ship: <a href="https://www.not-ship.com/uh-whats-going-on-with-academic-freedom/"><strong>Uh ... what's going on with academic freedom?</strong></a>, July 8 — Not-Ship: **Uh ... what's going on with academic freedom?**, July 8

Our World in Data: "Until the middle of the 20th century, few countries had political leaders that were women. These were monarchs, who rose to their positions because of their royal lineage," July 9 (Bluesky)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/sports/inq2/home-run-derby-jordan-walker-kyle-schwarber-20260714.html"><strong>How Walker made Cardinals history and Phillies infamy</strong></a>, July 13 — The Philadelphia Inquirer: **How Walker made Cardinals history and Phillies infamy**, July 13

SRF: Von 0 auf 6488 in vier Stunden [How public transit wakes up each morning in Swiss cities], July 14

What else we found interesting

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/07/08/opinion/focus-group-black-democrats.html"><strong>‘I Feel Like I’m in a House That’s on Fire’: 13 Black Democratic Voters on Trump, Democrats and America Today</strong></a>, July 8 — The New York Times: **‘I Feel Like I’m in a House That’s on Fire’: 13 Black Democratic Voters on Trump, Democrats and America Today**, July 8

David Aerne: "Killed the Xerox effect on CuspHanger (only Chrome could handle it). The new site does something better anyway: background, ink, and accent all derive from whatever palette you're building," July 11 (Bluesky, website)

Robert Simmon: "This is neat — celestial map + timeline of meteor showers," July 11 (Bluesky, chart in full resolution)

Applications are open for…

A data journalist at The Guardian, Sydney
A graphics journalist at the Financial Times, London

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Data Vis Dispatch, July 14: FIFA World Cup, heat in Europe, and Middle East alliances

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