The 2026 World Cup will be held in North America, with the United States, Canada, and Mexico hosting and competing in the 23rd edition of the world’s most prestigious tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup; a quadrennial international men’s soccer championship contested by national teams from FIFA member countries.
The prestigious tournament will be the first to be staged by three countries and the first in North America since 1994.
Also, this soccer competition will be the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32 previously.
Below are things you should know about the 2026 FIFA World Cup competition:
Hosts of the 2026 Fifa World Cup
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by three countries in North America, namely: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
This tournament will be the first World Cup hosted by more than one country since 2002.
Meanwhile, Mexico will become the first country to host or co-host the men’s World Cup three times, following its hosting of the championships in 1970 and 1986.
The United States last hosted the World Cup in 1994, while Canada will be hosting or co-hosting the men’s event for the first time.
The date the World Cup tournament will kickoff
The tournament is scheduled to kick off on the 11th of June and round off on July 19, 2026.
Number of teams contesting
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams for the first time, a 16-team increase over the previous seven events.
As authorized by the FIFA Council on March 14, 2023, the teams will be divided into 12 groups of four teams, with the top two from each group and the eight best third-placed teams moving to a new round of 32.
This will be the first expansion and alteration to the competition’s format since 1998.
Number of games to be played and match days
The total number of games played will rise from 64 to 104, with the number of games played by teams making the final four rising from seven to eight.
The competition is projected to span between 38 and 40 days, up from 32 days in 2014 and 2018.
Stadiums to be used for the World Cup
FIFA announced the selection of sixteen stadiums that will be used from cities of the host countries on June 16, 2022.
According to FIFA, eight of the sixteen selected stadiums have permanent artificial turf fields that will be replaced with grass.
How to get tickets to watch the World Cup action
The World Cup in 2026 is 968 days away, yet some teams have already qualified while some have been eliminated.
To receive information on how to apply for FIFA World Cup 26 tickets, you can register your interest here.
