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Whether you’re football crazy or have no idea how the offside rule works, it’s going to be difficult avoiding the 2026 Fifa World Cup over the coming weeks. Especially if either England or Scotland progress deep into the tournament that’s being staged across the US, Mexico, and Canada and featuring a record 48 teams.
But what if soccer, as it’s referred to ‘over the Pond’ is not your thing? How about foreign currency instead? To join in the half-time banter, impress your family and friends with these fun facts about 10 currencies representing countries playing in the finals.
Not wishing to tempt fate, we’ve deliberately omitted any reference to the pound sterling! The three letters following each country represent its foreign exchange currency code.
It’s difficult to start anywhere other the US, which will host the World Cup final in the New York New Jersey stadium on 19 July 2026.
The US dollar ranks as one of the world’s most influential currencies - if not the most influential. Not only has it been adopted by numerous other countries and territories worldwide but, according to currency specialists Change Group, the dollar accounts for well over half the world’s foreign exchange reserves (60%).
The term ‘dollar’ is thought to derive from the 16th century European ‘thaler’, referencing America’s historical connection with European countries. The famous ‘$’ symbol that’s used to price global commodities from Brent Crude oil to gold bullion, is believed to be inspired by Spanish eight-reales coins once used in the American colonies.
US banknotes are durable and unique. Made from a cotton-linen blend they are durable enough to be folded more than 8,000 times before tearing.
Football-loving Mexico has already staged the World Cup in both 1970 and 1986. This year it returns as one of three host nations.
According to Western Union, the Mexican peso goes back several centuries and was originally derived from Spain’s historic currency known as the ‘real’ and minted in silver. When the peso was introduced, the most common denomination of the currency was the silver 8-real coin. A peso means weight, referring to the silver weight of the currency. Silver coins were denominated in centavos, which were worth one-hundredth of a peso.
After gaining independence from Spain in 1821, the peso remained in circulation. Following an oil crisis in 1979, Mexico experienced hyperinflation and economic defaults, which led to the old currency being replaced. The ‘nuevo peso’ (new peso) was valued at one thousand times the value of the old peso.
The Canadian cities of Toronto and Vancouver will each host group stage matches as part of the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
According to FXFM, the Canadian dollar is considered to be one of the seven major foreign exchange currencies worldwide. The earliest documented form of Canadian currency dates back to the 16th century and the exchange of decorative belts known as ‘wampum’. The first form of paper money was adopted in the Canadian Territories in 1685. By the 19th century, Canada began issuing local currencies tied to the British pound and US dollar.
The Canadian dollar was introduced in 1858 to create a unified monetary system. Its name and design were influenced by the neighbouring US, though this eventually led to Canada’s own identity in the currency system.
Argentina are the current World Cup holders and have already won the tournament three times in 1978, 1986, and 2022.
The Argentine peso is the official currency of the Argentine Republic which, by area, is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. The peso is divided into 100 centavos and is designated by a dollar sign.
According to the Corporate Finance Institute, there have been several versions of the peso down the years. The current version is known as the peso convertible which made its debut in 1992.
Thanks to a deal agreed between Argentina’s central bank and the US, the currency initially enjoyed a one-to-one exchange rate with the US dollar. But since that agreement ended in 2001, the relative value of the peso has declined substantially.
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Brazil has won the World Cup five times in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002.
The Brazilian real was introduced to the country in 1994 following two decades featuring persistent cycles of high inflation and even hyper-inflation. According to the Banco Central do Brasil, the Brazilian central bank, despite an increasing use of digital transfers, payments in cash are customary and the majority of the population, especially in the countryside, continue to collect their wages in cash.
Brazilian real banknotes are regarded as some of the safest in the world, with advanced security features including: a watermark, magnetic security thread, latent image, see-through register, tactile intaglio printing, optically variable magnetic ink, and a hologram stripe.
Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup which was won by Argentina following a penalty shoot-out against France.
According to the Qatar Central Bank, before 1959 several currencies circulated in the Arab Gulf region including the Ottoman Majidi riyal, the French silver riyal, the golden pound sterling, and the Indian silver and copper rupees.
The Qatari riyal became the official currency in 1967 when it replaced the Gulf rupee and came into circulation as the country began to consolidate its economic identity. The currency consists of 100 dirhams.
Partly due to its heavy reliance of the export of natural gas, the Qatari riyal is pegged to the US dollar at a rate of about 3.64. Based on the number of US dollars that can be bought by another country’s base unit of currency, this makes Qatari riyal one of world’s strongest.
Turkey has reached its first World Cup finals since 2002 after a narrow 1-0 play-off win against Kosovo.
According to Westen Union, the Turkish lira’s history is deeply connected with the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor of the modern Turkish state. The term ‘lira’ originates from the ancient Roman ‘libra’ which was a unit of weight.
CFI says that the introduction of TRY as a currency was divided into two phases. The first phase took place between 1923 and 2005, while the second one started from 2005 onwards. Throughout its history, the Turkish lira has been pegged at various times to the British pound sterling, the French franc, and the US dollar.
Earlier this year, Morocco were declared the winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, having been controversially awarded the trophy following the team’s original 1-0 defeat to Senegal in the final.
According to Travelex, the official currency of Morocco is the dirham which is sub-divided into santim. For a short period during the early 20th century, the currency was switched to the Moroccan franc when the country was a protectorate of France.
The dirham originates from the Byzantine empire, the eastern side of Roman civilisation in Europe and Asia. The word ‘dirham’ is thought to originate from ‘drachma’, the name of the historical Greek currency.
Ghana has reached the World Cup on four previous occasions making the quarter-finals in both 2014 and 2022.
Ghana gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. Its first currency after that time was the Ghanaian pound which, according to Remitly, was replaced by the cedi in 1965. Cedi is the Akan word for cowry. This is a type of shell that had been used as a form of currency in the region five hundred years earlier, and even up until the start of the 20th century.
With a population of just 150,000 and a land area of 170 square miles, the Dutch island country of Curaçao is the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup finals. It lies about 40 miles north of Venezuela and mainland South America.
The country used to form part of the Netherlands Antilles. Nowadays, along with Sint Maarten, Curaçao’s currency is the Caribbean Guilder which is virtually brand new having only been introduced on 31 March 2025.
Banknotes are inspired by the theme ‘World under the sea’. To ensure stability, the Caribbean guilder is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed exchange rate of $1 = XCG 1.79.
The definitive list of travel discounts for train, coach, and bus travel across the UK.
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