Maple, the moose, Zayu, the Jaguar and Clutch, the Bald Eagle are the mascots for the event.

Here are some important things you should know:

1. FIFA stands for “Football: It’s Football, Americans.”

2. Soccer began — some say — when a group of Medieval Brits gathered together around a pig’s bladder to receive endorsements from Nike.

3. All of the matches for the 39-day-long championship are held in cities across North America: Canada, The U.S. and Mexico.

4. Except for boxing, it’s the only other sport that allows you to use your head.

5. Each team has 11 players. Follow this easy trick to remember the positions on the field. There’s a goalkeeper, then all the others.

6. A game lasts 90 minutes, made up of two 45 minute halves and a bunch of random extra minutes no one ever tells you about.

7. Like we have fantasy football leagues, other countries have fantasy soccer leagues.
(I don’t actually know if this is true; I’m just assuming it is.)

8. For years, most dopey Americans knew only a few famous fútbollers; Pelé, Mia Hamm, Ronaldo and David Beckham. 

9. Oh, and Super Paul Mullin from Welcome to Wrexham.

10. There are 52 referees from 50 countries officiating the matches.

11. Soccer is basically lacrosse without sticks, or padding, or helmets.

12. The New York Times reports some bonkers World Cup moments like from the first tournament in 1930: Egypt didn’t participate in the tournament because they literally missed the boat, or the United States doctor was reportedly knocked out on the pitch by his own chloroform bottle, or the story of a Romanian player’s mother believing he was dead as he did not return home with the team, only for him to turn up alive and well on the day of his funeral.

13. Like presidential elections and new episodes of Rick and Morty, World Cup happens every four years.