Overview
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first edition to feature 48 national teams, expanding from the 32-team format used since 1998. The tournament is jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico — making it the first three-nation World Cup in history. It is scheduled to run from June 8 through July 19, 2026.
The host trio will use 16 cities across the three countries. Five venues are in the United States (New York/New Jersey area, Los Angeles, Dallas, Seattle, and Kansas City), three in Canada (Toronto, Vancouver), and three in Mexico (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey). Estadio Azteca in Mexico City is the only stadium to have hosted two World Cups, having staged the final in 1970.
The format expands to 12 groups of four teams each. The top two finishers in each group advance, alongside the eight best third-place teams. From there, a 32-team knockout bracket runs through the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final — staged at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (just outside New York City).
Qualification is ongoing across all confederations. As of early 2026, several heavyweights have already secured or are close to securing their spots, including defending champions Argentina, Brazil, France, England, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and hosts USA, Canada, and Mexico.