Data Vis Dispatch, June 9: The World Cup, SpaceX, and the pope

Welcome back to the 248th edition of Data Vis Dispatch! Every week, we’ll be 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 World Cup games, SpaceX, and Pope Leo XIV's visit to Spain.

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 set to begin in a few days, high temperatures could pose a risk to several matches. Analyses of previous World Cup tournaments have revealed changes in the number of qualifying teams, as well as in passing clusters, shot and foul frequencies, and even in area usage on the soccer field.

Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2026-fifa-world-cup-games-weather/"><strong>Some World Cup Teams Will Face a Much Hotter Tournament</strong></a>, June 5 — Bloomberg: **Some World Cup Teams Will Face a Much Hotter Tournament**, June 5

NPR: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/06/04/nx-s1-5742519/world-cup-fifa-hot-weather-risk-climate-miami"><strong>These World Cup games are most at risk for dangerously hot weather</strong></a>, June 4 — NPR: **These World Cup games are most at risk for dangerously hot weather**, June 4

The Straits Times: <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/bigger-better-or-just-boring-debate-heats-up-over-fifas-expanded-48-team-world-cup"><strong>Bigger and better, or just boring? Debate heats up over FIFA’s expanded 48-team World Cup</strong></a>, June 6 — The Straits Times: **Bigger and better, or just boring? Debate heats up over FIFA’s expanded 48-team World Cup**, June 6

Northeastern Global News: <a href="https://news.northeastern.edu/2026/06/03/soccer-analytics-world-cup-network-science/"><strong>What network science can tell us about the 2026 World Cup</strong></a>, June 8 — Northeastern Global News: **What network science can tell us about the 2026 World Cup**, June 8

The Economist: <a href="https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2026/06/03/why-the-world-cup-produces-an-ugly-version-of-the-beautiful-game"><strong>Why the World Cup produces an ugly version of the beautiful game</strong></a>, June 3 — The Economist: **Why the World Cup produces an ugly version of the beautiful game**, June 3

The Athletic:<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7275449/2026/06/06/world-cup-style-by-data-since-1966/"> <strong>From long balls to short kings: The evolution of World Cup football from 1966 to now</strong></a>, June 6 <span class="badge">An incredible range of World Cup-themed visualisations!</span> — The Athletic: **From long balls to short kings: The evolution of World Cup football from 1966 to now**, June 6 An incredible range of World Cup-themed visualisations!

India has been experiencing high temperatures, with mean temperature anomalies revealing variations in warming across different regions. The upcoming El Niño event is expected to intensify heat conditions even further.

BBC: <a href="https://www.bbc.com/hindi/resources/idt-6b9c5302-fefa-4639-b933-b4bb728f6e18"><strong>दिल्ली से चेन्नई तकभारतीय शहर क्यों गर्म होते जा रहे?</strong></a> [<em>Chart title: How has the temperature increased over time?</em>], June 2 — BBC: **दिल्ली से चेन्नई तकभारतीय शहर क्यों गर्म होते जा रहे?** [*Chart title: How has the temperature increased over time?*], June 2

Data For India: <a href="https://www.dataforindia.com/regional-temperature-trends-in-india/"><strong>Regional temperature trends in India</strong></a>, June 4 — Data For India: **Regional temperature trends in India**, June 4

BBC: <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-54f4e985-a7fb-48b2-8246-f3be0d699402?utm_term=2026-06-05&utm_content=buffer12b34&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer"><strong>Prepare for El Niño, UN warns - it could be the strongest in decades</strong></a>, June 2 — BBC: **Prepare for El Niño, UN warns - it could be the strongest in decades**, June 2

India is experiencing falling fertility rates, which have since dropped below the replacement rate. Additionally, while women tend to live longer than men, life expectancy varies by country.

The Economist: <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2026/06/04/indias-population-will-soon-be-falling-probably-quite-fast"><strong>India’s population will soon be falling—probably quite fast</strong></a>, June 4 — The Economist: **India’s population will soon be falling—probably quite fast**, June 4

Datawrapper: <a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/blog/life-expectancy-beeswarm-plot"><strong>How long will you live?</strong></a>, June 4 — Datawrapper: **How long will you live?**, June 4

SpaceX's highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) is set to be the largest of all time, significantly increasing the company’s valuation. Amidst this, Elon Musk's social media posts on X have largely focused on UK politics.

Semafor: <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/06/04/2026/spacex-sets-record-177t-valuation-ipo-target"><strong>SpaceX sets record $1.77T valuation IPO target</strong></a>, June 4 — Semafor: **SpaceX sets record $1.77T valuation IPO target**, June 4

The Wall Street Journal: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/spacex-ipo-would-raise-75-billion-281b0886?mod=e2twg"><strong>Terms Revealed for SpaceX’s Unconventional $75 Billion IPO</strong></a>, June 4 — The Wall Street Journal: **Terms Revealed for SpaceX’s Unconventional $75 Billion IPO**, June 4

Financial Times: <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/368d0d8d-8d6b-4060-bd7b-17c0034cf174?accessToken=zwAAAZ6l8BT-kc82jQ2NjWtAYNO9exfAA0zxdA.MEUCIQC7ylxsuf1vEVU_AyEUZGxr06rewOIlfix1skG3Rz-BEQIgcoi55H9xYgzpWfpFPGN8QXsEqvA57REO-uXBHhBKnG0&segmentId=e95a9ae7-622c-6235-5f87-51e412b47e97&shareId=b1cb096a-e2c9-4d5a-bb12-b36e696f8c83&shareType=enterprise&syn-25a6b1a6=1"><strong>Keir Starmer blasts Elon Musk for trying to ‘whip up division’</strong></a>, June 4 — Financial Times: **Keir Starmer blasts Elon Musk for trying to ‘whip up division’**, June 4

In Los Angeles, the mayoral primary took place, with visualizations mapping out the election results so far. Various outside committees have spent money supporting or opposing the mayoral candidates.

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/05/us/elections/los-angeles-mayor-primary-results-precinct-map.html"><strong>See Where the L.A. Mayoral Candidates Have Done Best So Far</strong></a>, June 5 — The New York Times: **See Where the L.A. Mayoral Candidates Have Done Best So Far**, June 5

Los Angeles Times: <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2026-06-04/primary-election-2026-map-mayor-neighborhood-results-precincts"><strong>Here’s how your neighborhood voted for Los Angeles mayor</strong></a>, June 4 — Los Angeles Times: **Here’s how your neighborhood voted for Los Angeles mayor**, June 4

LAist: "Two of L.A.'s highest-profile incumbents are behind in fundraising in this election: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and City Controller Kenneth Mejia. Notably, Mejia’s campaign coffers are all but empty compared with his key rival, Zach Sokoloff," June 2 (Facebook, project website)

Moving on to the topic of war, Russian sabotage operations have become frequent in Europe. Additionally, strikes are still being reported in Lebanon despite a recent ceasefire. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution restricting President Trump’s war powers in Iran without congressional approval.

The European Correspondent: <a href="https://europeancorrespondent.com/en/r/russia-wants-to-hire-you-to-commit-a-crime"><strong>Russia wants to hire you to commit a crime</strong></a>, June 5 — The European Correspondent: **Russia wants to hire you to commit a crime**, June 5

The Wall Street Journal: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/see-how-the-middle-easts-ceasefires-remain-plagued-by-violence-b7505ddf?mod=e2twg"><strong>The Three Mideast Ceasefires That Look Like War Right Now</strong></a>, June 3 — The Wall Street Journal: **The Three Mideast Ceasefires That Look Like War Right Now**, June 3

The Wall Street Journal: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/how-each-member-of-the-house-voted-on-the-war-powers-bill-91634dc2"><strong>How Each Member of the House Voted on the War Powers Bill</strong></a>, June 3 — The Wall Street Journal: **How Each Member of the House Voted on the War Powers Bill**, June 3

Maps have been used to visualize road closures due to the Pope's visit to Spain, German town names, and regions in Switzerland prone to tick bites.

EL PAÍS: <a href="https://elpais.com/espana/2026-06-04/mapas-todos-los-cortes-de-trafico-de-madrid-y-barcelona-calles-a-evitar-y-restricciones-a-la-movilidad-por-la-visita-del-papa-en-espana.html"><strong>Todos los cortes de tráfico de Madrid y Barcelona, calles a evitar y restricciones a la movilidad por la visita del Papa en España</strong></a> [<em>All the road closures in Madrid and Barcelona, streets to avoid and mobility restrictions for the Pope's visit to Spain</em>], June 4 — EL PAÍS: **Todos los cortes de tráfico de Madrid y Barcelona, calles a evitar y restricciones a la movilidad por la visita del Papa en España** [*All the road closures in Madrid and Barcelona, streets to avoid and mobility restrictions for the Pope's visit to Spain*], June 4

Die Zeit: <a href="https://www.zeit.de/zeit-magazin/2026-06/ortsnamen-deutschland-endungen-karte-geschichte?mj_campaign=nl_ref&mj_content=zeitde_text_link_x&mj_medium=nl&mj_source=int_zonaudev_Was%20bleibt%3F"><strong>Was der Ortsname über Ihren Ort verrät</strong></a> [<em>What the place name reveals about your place</em>], June 4 — Die Zeit: **Was der Ortsname über Ihren Ort verrät** [*What the place name reveals about your place*], June 4

Tages-Anzeiger: <a href="https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/zecken-schweiz-neue-arten-und-erreger-auf-dem-vormarsch-118050994911"><strong>Zecken haben Hochsaison: Das müssen Sie über neue Arten und Erreger wissen</strong></a> [<em>Ticks are at their peak season: Here's what you need to know about new species and pathogens</em>], June 8 — Tages-Anzeiger: **Zecken haben Hochsaison: Das müssen Sie über neue Arten und Erreger wissen** [*Ticks are at their peak season: Here's what you need to know about new species and pathogens*], June 8

Sales of electric vehicles are booming, with new records being set. Meanwhile, only high-earning American households seem to be benefiting from a tax loophole.

Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2026-energy-transition-iran-war/"><strong>Iran Shock Jolts Asia and Europe to Speed Up Energy Transition</strong></a>, June 4 — Bloomberg: **Iran Shock Jolts Asia and Europe to Speed Up Energy Transition**, June 4

Canary Media: <a href="https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electric-vehicles/electric-cars-starting-take-over-world"><strong>Electric cars are starting to take over the world</strong></a>, June 5 — Canary Media: **Electric cars are starting to take over the world**, June 5

Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2026-etf-trading-heartbeats/"><strong>The Top 1% Reap Most From Tax Loophole Costing $48 Billion</strong></a>, June 7 — Bloomberg: **The Top 1% Reap Most From Tax Loophole Costing $48 Billion**, June 7

We end this Dispatch exploring the topic of media, from the dominance of franchise video games, to the increasing debt of media companies due to mergers, and finally onto ARIA chart ratings over the last 37 years.

Not-Ship: <a href="https://www.not-ship.com/nothing-new/"><strong>Nothing new here: Another sequel, another lighthouse</strong></a>, June 4 — Not-Ship: **Nothing new here: Another sequel, another lighthouse**, June 4

Reuters:<a href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/WARNER-BROS-DIS-MA/PARAMOUNT-SKYDAN/byprngedkpe/"> <strong>A whale of a deal</strong></a>, June 3 — Reuters: **A whale of a deal**, June 3

The Guardian: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/jun/08/australian-music-extinction-risk-data-listening-trends-aria-chart-history"><strong>Is Australian music at risk of extinction? Here’s what the data tells us</strong></a>, June 7 — The Guardian: **Is Australian music at risk of extinction? Here’s what the data tells us**, June 7

What else we found interesting

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/03/climate/deep-sea-mining-tests-hidden-gem.html?unlocked_article_code=1.nlA.H44u.7qyXexNhrZbw&smid=url-share"><strong>Inside the Quest to Mine the Bottom of the Sea</strong></a>, June 3 — The New York Times: **Inside the Quest to Mine the Bottom of the Sea**, June 3

Jer Thorp: "Have been hearing from quite a few 🇨🇦 friends who read this Canadian Geographic piece about my visualization of every bird in Point Pelee, Ontario," (Bluesky, project website) June 2

Chartography: <a href="https://www.chartography.net/p/a-voyage-is-not-a-view?triedRedirect=true"><strong>A Voyage Is Not a View</strong></a>, June 4 — Chartography: **A Voyage Is Not a View**, June 4

Neue Zürcher Zeitung: Erle, Birke, Gräser: Wann wo in der Schweiz welche Pollen fliegen [Alder, birch, grasses: When and where different types of pollen are in the air in Switzerland], June 7

Applications are open for…

A data journalist at Die Zeit

A graphics journalist at Dow Jones

An interactive visual journalist at The Economist

A principal data journalist at European Correspondent

A data journalist at European Correspondent

A data journalism intern at Texty.org.ua

A PostDoc in Health Data Science at The Complexity Science Hub

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Data Vis Dispatch, June 9: The World Cup, SpaceX, and the pope

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