Every four years, the world comes together. Like the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup is more than a football tournament. It is a celebration of teamwork, national pride, diversity and the pursuit of excellence. For a few weeks, billions of people follow the matches, every upset and every unforgettable moment as nations compete for one of the most prestigious trophies in sport.
In 2026, 48 nations take part on the football competition, bringing together countries from every corner of the globe, each with its own style of play, culture and ambitions. Watching the tournament unfold inspired a question amongst our team.
What if business registries had their own World Cup?
Not to determine which registry is "the best," but to celebrate the many different ways registries create trust, support businesses, contribute to stronger economies, and how registries could learn from each other.
Every registry operates within its own legal, political and economic environment. Each serves different priorities, different populations and different legislative frameworks. Comparing them directly would never tell the whole story.
But imagining them competing in a friendly tournament provides an interesting way to explore what registry excellence looks like and to celebrate the strengths that exist across the global registry community.
Like football, every match would be decided on performance. Rather than goals, registries would compete across a series of carefully selected categories that reflect different aspects of registry excellence.
Each category would be scored independently. The registry that outperforms its opponent in the greatest number of categories wins the match and progresses to the next round. If both registries win the same number of categories, the match goes to "extra time", where the registry with the highest overall average score advances.
The objective is not perfection. It is balance and impact.
Just as football rewards complete teams rather than individual performances, the Registry World Cup would recognise registries that perform consistently across multiple dimensions.
Based on the participating nations of the FIFA World Cup 2026, reimagined as the 2026 Registry World Cup.
Every registry has different strengths. Some have invested heavily in digital transformation. Others have focused on transparency, customer experience or legislative reform. Rather than measuring a single outcome, each match could be decided across categories such as:
Transparency - How accessible is registry information?
Customer Experience - How simple is it for entrepreneurs and businesses to interact with the registry?
Ease of Doing Business - How efficiently can businesses be established, maintained and managed?
Digital Innovation - Has the registry embraced modern technology to improve services?
Cybersecurity and Resilience - How well is critical registry data protected?
Data Quality - How accurate, complete and reliable is registry information?
Interoperability - How effectively can registry information be shared with other trusted government agencies or jurisdictions?
Economic Impact - Ultimately, how well does the registry contribute to creating an environment where businesses can start, grow and invest with confidence?
One of the most fascinating aspects of the Registry World Cup is that there may never be a single dominant team. Just as every football nation develops its own playing style, every registry evolves according to its own history, legislation, economy and national priorities. Some registries are recognised for exceptional customer experience. Others have pioneered transparency initiatives. Some lead the way in digital transformation. Others excel at protecting data or supporting complex regulatory environments.
Each has something valuable to contribute. It sounds fun to ask which registry is "the best" today, but perhaps the better question is:
What can registries learn from one another? or Who can teach us about X category?
The strongest registries are rarely those that excel in only one area. They are the ones that continue improving across all aspects of service delivery while remaining focused on the people and businesses they exist to serve.
Because, in the end, registry success is not measured by trophies. It is measured by trust. It is measured by confidence. It is measured by opportunity. And above all, it is measured by the positive impact a registry has on its country's economy and its citizens.
The starting 11 of a world-class registry. Each position representing one of the eleven capability themes assessed in Foster Moore's Registry Capability Maturity Model (RCMM).
Every World Cup celebrates individual excellence as well as team success. Our imaginary Registry World Cup could do exactly the same.
On top of crowning an overall champion, what if registries were recognised for the areas where they truly excel?
Imagine awards such as:
🏆 Best Customer Experience
🏆 Transparency Champion
🏆 Innovation Award
🏆 Excellence in Digital Services
🏆 Cybersecurity Excellence
🏆 Data Quality Champion
🏆 Interoperability Award
🏆 Most Complete Registry Team of the Tournament
When you think about those categories above, which registry comes to mind? Who would you nominate, and why?
We would love to hear which registries you believe are leading the way in certain categories and what other registries could learn from them.
Image generated using artificial intelligence.
Every great sporting tournament leaves a legacy. It inspires future generations. It showcases new ideas. It strengthens international relationships. It reminds us that healthy competition can encourage everyone to improve.
Business registries play a remarkably similar role. Every day, they help entrepreneurs transform ideas into businesses. They provide trusted information that supports investment and commerce. They help governments build transparent, resilient economies. They reduce barriers to doing business and create opportunities for growth.
Like international sporting teams and events, strong registries generate benefits that extend far beyond the competition itself. They encourage innovation. They promote collaboration. They strengthen international connections. They help create more inclusive and prosperous societies.
That is why every registry, regardless of its size or level of digital maturity, has something valuable to contribute. Every country is on its own journey. Every registry has its own strengths. Every improvement ultimately benefits the people, businesses and communities it serves.
So, if registries really did have their own World Cup…
Who do you think would lift the trophy?