N3XT Intelligence tracked all 48 teams from June 4 to July 31. Our new Digital Maturity Index report ranks them on the asset that outlasts the tournament: the audience they keep.
On July 19, Spain lifted the World Cup trophy and $50 million in prize money. But on the scoreboard that matters long after the final whistle, the champion finished 14th.
That scoreboard is the N3XT Sports Digital Maturity Index. From June 4 to July 31, N3XT Intelligence tracked all 48 teams on how well they capture, own and keep their fans. The results don’t follow the bracket.
Prize money is spent the moment it’s paid. The audience a team builds during a World Cup either compounds or disappears, and the next 90 days decide which.
What the report answers
- Which team topped the index, and why didn’t its result on the pitch matter?
- How wide is the digital gap between confederations?
- Which smaller and first-time teams won new audiences, and which can actually keep them?
- How much of a team’s following does it really own?
- What should every team do in the 90 days after the final?
Inside the report
- The full 48-team leaderboard
- Six team profiles, including the champion and the index leader
- Five case studies of viral moments and what they were worth
- A 90-day action plan, one step per pillar of the index
The question is no longer whether digital infrastructure matters. It’s who builds it before the next qualifying cycle arrives.
