Just days until the 2026 FIFA World Cup, wouldn't it be great if Golf had a genuine World Cup too

In 3 days time Mexico will kick 0ff the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the iconic Estadio Azteca with a match against 2010 Hosts South Africa, in what will be the first of a record 104 matches played across Mexico, Canada and the United States of America between 11 June and the 19 July. 48 countries from 6 continents will compete for the greatest prize in sport, from the giants of football in England, Brazil, Argentina, Belgium, Spain, France, Croatia, Netherlands, Portugal and Germany to the emerging powers of USA, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Egypt, Norway, Sweden, and Japan, to the plucky underdogs of Australia, Scotland, Mexico, Switzerland, and Saudi Arabia, and to the complete outsiders like New Zealand, Curacao, Haiti, Ecuador, South Africa, Qatar and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and everyone else in between.

England win the 1966 FIFA World Cup

The World Cup is the most anticipated and most-watched of sporting events in the world, alongside the Olympic Games, and for the last century it has been a part of the fabric of the sport. It has been the place where FIFA have rolled out new laws and interpretations of the laws, and debuted new technologies, such as VAR. It has been the place where football kit manufacturers have debuted new designs, and built iconic campaigns around. The World Cup is the chance for all fans around the world to watch the best footballers in the world, from every part of the world, play in some of the most iconic stadiums around the world, many of which we only ever see at a World Cup.

Pele at the 1970 FIFA World Cup

This year it will be the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Estadio BBVA in Guadalajara, BC Place in Vancouver, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Gillette Stadium near Boston, AT&T Stadium near Dallas, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and many more. Football fans have World Cups in Spain, Portugal and Morocco (2030) and Saudi Arabia (2034) to look forward to, and sportsmen and women have other significant World Cups to look forward to and compete in.

England win the 2019 Cricket World Cup

The ICC Cricket World Cup was first staged in 1975 in England, and has since gone on to be played in India & Pakistan (1987), Australia & New Zealand (1992), Pakistan, India & Sri Lanka (1996), England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Netherlands (1999), South Africa (2003), Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, & Trinidad and Tobago (2007), India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh (2011), Australia & New Zealand (2015), England & Wales (2019) and India (2023).

England win the 2003 Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup was first staged in 1987 in New Zealand and Australia, and his since gone on to be played in England, France, Ireland, Scotland & Wales (1991), South Africa (1995), Wales, Scotland, England, Ireland, and France (1999), Australia (2003), France (2007), New Zealand (2011), England (2015), Japan (2019), and France (2023). Australia will stage the 2027 edition, and the USA will stage the 2031 tournament.

Rugby League, Basketball. Ice Hockey, Field Hockey and Baseball each have similar World Cups.

These events usually provide memorable moments which fans and players alike look back on fondly, and can recall every time a new edition is staged. "Some people are on the pitch, they think it's all over. It is now!" The iconic 1966 World Cup Final won by England at Wembley. Mexico 1970 and the unforgettable Brazilian team led by Pele dismantling Italy in the final, after the legendary clash with England, and that Gordon Banks save. 1982 and the celebration of Marco Tardelli after he scored in the final against West Germany for Italy in Spain. Diego Maradona leading Argentina to victory in what many recall as the greatest World Cup ever played, in Mexico 1986. The controversial "hand of god" goal, followed by the "Goal of the Century" against England in the quarter-final, followed by his virtuoso display in the semi-finals against Belgium. Then the incredible 3-2 victory over West Germany in the final.

The list of memories goes on and on. The World Cup inspires, whatever the sport, wherever it is played.

Imagine if golf had this.

It is now 8 years since the most recent World Cup of Golf was played, and many could be forgiven for forgetting that the sport even had a World Cup. The World Cup of Golf was established as the Canada Cup in 1953, changing its name to the World Cup of Golf in 1967. It has largely been played as an annual two-man team event, and has visited every continent, and featured most of the greatest golfers in the world between the 1950's and 2010's. But it was generally seen, in its latter years, as an annoying end of season event which many of the best golfers neglected to add to their schedules.

In men's professional golf it has, for the last 30 years, been a distant third in terms of team competitions behind the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.

In 2009 the tournament moved to a Biennial cycle, and has since been played in 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2018. The event in November 2018 at Metropolitan is the most recent edition of the tournament, and there does not seem any chance that the event will return in its former guise. The most recent Women's World Cup of Golf was played in 2008, and whilst the LPGA stages the 8-team International Crown every two years, it doesn't really fit the bill as a World Cup.

There has been so much discussion on team golf and global golf over the last five years since the creation of LIV Golf, but a true World Cup of Golf could be the best version of both. The tours of the world have, generally, shown very little in the way of innovation and outside the box thinking, but surely this sport wants and needs what the World Cups of Football, Cricket and Rugby provide those sports.

A festival lasting one month, memories made for a lifetime and touchpoints with existing and new fans all over the world.

The best golfers in the world do play in 3-4 consecutive weeks in every PGA TOUR season around the FedEx Cup Playoffs in August, and during the early weeks of the season around The Players Championship. So for them to do so in an event played once every four years, with the chance to become a World Champion for their country should not be too much to ask for.

The World Cup of Golf is also the perfect event to feature mixed team match play golf, bringing together the best women and men in the world from across the world.

Imagine a World Cup of Golf staged across a host country, just like the World Cups of Football, Rugby and Cricket, playing the iconic golf courses of a host country over the course of a month. The best men and women golfers in the world representing 24 nations, playing head-to-head match play on some of the world's greatest courses, creating a month-long festival of golf. It can create memories for a lifetime and inspire the next generation of golfers unlike any current, existing event.

The Presidents Cup is a failing event, played between the USA and the Rest of the World (excluding Europe) is a one-sided and uncompetitive tournament with next to no meaning. The venues for the 2026 (Medinah), 2028 (Kingston Heath, Australia) and 2030 (Bellerive) are confirmed, but no venues after 2030 have been announced, and it would be great to see the PGA TOUR discontinue the Presidents Cup, and come together with all the other tours, the Major Championship organisers and the International Golf Federation to create a true World Cup of Golf.

There is surely no better destination to relaunch the World Cup of Golf than the Home of Golf, with 13 iconic courses across Scotland, concluding with the World Cup Final on the Old Course, St Andrews. A spectacular opening ceremony could be held on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in the Royal Military Tattoo arena, with 9,000 spectators in attendance.

These 13 courses would take the world's best golfers to every corner of Scotland, and make it available to the entire population of Scotland. All of Scotland's 5 modern Open Championship courses would be joined by the modern links masterpieces of Trump International Golf Links near Aberdeen, Dumbarnie Golf Links, Machrihanish Dunes and Kingsbarns, along with Scotland's greatest inland courses including Gleneagles, Loch Lomond, Spey Valley and the Roxburghe.

The Alfred Dunhill Cup, although much smaller by design, was immensely popular when it launched, and I have absolutely no doubt that the World Cup of Golf would be with players and golfers worldwide. Part of what has made the FIFA World Cup so popular is its availability to the masses, being broadcast free-to-air for the majority of the billions around the world, and the World Cup of Golf would be feature a free-to-air element to its coverage.

Just like the other World Cups, the World Cup of Golf would be played every four years, over four weeks in the month of September, or a month during the PGA TOUR's off-season to enable the event to travel the whole world.

This event would transform the sport on the global stage, and would provide memories for a lifetime from golfers all over the world on the world's greatest golf courses. So come on, let's make this happen!

Just imagine Scotland's golfers on an Open Top Bus through the streets of St Andrews starting from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and travelling along Golf Place, turning on to North Street, heading up and past the Cathedral ruins before turning on to South Street, and ending up at the Town Hall for a reception after they have won the World Cup!

SHANK, by Matt Hooper

Matt Hooper is an Associate Member of the Sports Journalists Association