Pleasure is already constructing for the subsequent version of the World Cup, which might be rolling round in summer time 2026 with three nations sharing the internet hosting duties for the primary time – the Canada, Mexico and the US.
Argentina might be trying to defend the trophy they received in a scintillating ultimate in opposition to France in 2022, whereas the competitors might be expanded from 32 groups to a monster 48.
That makes the twenty third version of the World Cup the largest and most bold of all time. Here is every part you’ll want to know concerning the competitors – and ensure you bookmark this web page and preserve checking again every so often as we preserve it updated with all the newest information and developments.
The place will the World Cup 2026 happen?
The US might be residence turf at a World Cup for the primary time in 32 years (Picture credit score: Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Photographs)
The place will the World Cup 2026 happen?
In one thing of a U-turn from FIFA, the World Cup 2026 might be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the US. FIFA had not been eager on having a couple of nation as hosts because the 2002 World Cup, which was shared between Japan and South Korea.
All three nations thought of bidding individually however determined in 2017 to crew up. With UEFA and AFC nations not allowed to bid (as a result of they hosted the final two), the one rival bid got here from Morocco, with the North American bid profitable the vote by 134 votes to 65.
The USA hosted the World Cup in 1994, whereas Mexico hosted in 1970 and 1986 (once they stepped in after supposed hosts Colombia dropped out). Canada has by no means hosted a males’s World Cup, however did host the Girls’s World Cup in 2015
Event format
What number of groups might be on the World Cup 2026?
An unprecedented 48 groups will participate within the 2026 version of the World Cup, which suggests vital alterations to each the group stage and knockout levels.
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The World Cup has been performed in the identical primary 32-team format since 1998, with one of the best two sides from eight teams of 4 going by to a knockout spherical of 16.
Now, it will be 12 teams of 4, with the highest two sides from every group going by to a knockout spherical of 32 – alongside the eight best-performing third-placed sides from the teams.
If you happen to’ve adopted the previous few Euros – or are sufficiently old to recollect the times of 24-team World Cups – then it is successfully that, however twice the scale.
Dates and fixtures
The World Cup dates are set already (Picture credit score: Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/Getty Photographs)
What are the dates for the World Cup 2026?
The World Cup 2026 will happen between June 11 2026 and July 19 2026.
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World Cup 2026 scheduleGroup stageJune 11 – June 27 2026Round of 32June 28 – July 3 2026Round of 16July 4 – July 7 2026Quarter-finalsJuly 9 – July 11 2026Semi-finalsJuly 14 – July 15 2026Third-place play-offJuly 18 2026FinalJuly 19 2026
Certified nations
Solely three nations are set for the event to this point (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Which nations have certified for the World Cup 2026?
All three co-hosts have been granted automated qualification to the event, and are to date the one sides to be confirmed.
The opposite 45 slots might be stuffed as follows, with the six sides who qualify for the play-offs set to compete in an inter-confederation mini-tournament with two World Cup locations up for grabs.
AFC (Asia): Eight direct qualification slots, plus one play-off slotCAF (Africa): 9 direct qualification slots, plus one play-off slotCONCACAF (North America, Central America and the Caribbean): On high of the three co-hosts, three direct qualification slots plus two play-off slotsCONMEBOL (South America): Six direct qualification slots, plus one play-off slotOFC (Oceania): One direct qualification slot, plus one play-off slotUEFA (Europe): 16 direct qualification slots, no play-off slots
Why do not Argentina get automated qualification as reigning World Cup winners?
FIFA used to offer automated qualification to the reigning World Cup winners, doing so from 1938 to 2002 – however they did away with that from 2006.
Up to now no reigning champions have but did not qualify by the same old course of, nonetheless, and Argentina at present sit fairly on the high of the CONMEBOL qualification rankings.
Teams
What are the teams for World Cup 2026?
We do not know but, and will not till the draw is made. No date has but been set for that, nevertheless it’s anticipated to be someday in late 2025.
We do know, nonetheless, that Mexico might be in Group A, Canada might be in Group B, and the USA might be in Group D.
Kick-off instances
What are the kick-off instances for the World Cup 2026?
Though the match dates and venues for all 104 video games have been introduced, the precise kick-off instances are but to be revealed – and should not anticipated to be till after the ultimate draw for the group stage has been made in late 2025.
There might be as much as 4 timeslots to fill per day through the group stage, due to the prolonged format, which may imply European viewers find yourself with video games at slightly unsociable hours.
If we’re earlier examples within the US and Mexico: the entire video games at Mexico 86 have been performed at both noon or 4pm native time, however there have been after all solely half as many video games to slot in. USA 94 in the meantime had an 11:30am (Central time) kick-off time for a handful of video games, which for US West Coast viewers was 9:30am and for UK viewers was 5:30pm.
Stadiums
These are the World Cup 2026 stadiums:
Canada:
BC Place, Vancouver, BC: 54,500BMO Subject, Toronto, ON: 45,736
Though Dallas’ AT&T Stadium was initially anticipated to win the bid to host the ultimate, the World Cup 2026 ultimate will really be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, simply ten miles exterior New York Metropolis.
The stadium has beforehand hosted the 2014 Tremendous Bowl ultimate and the 2016 Copa America ultimate, in addition to WWE WrestleMania in 2013 and 2019.
Primarily an American soccer stadium, the Metlife may have seats specifically eliminated for the World Cup to make it huge sufficient to swimsuit FIFA’s advisable pitch dimensions.
Tickets
When will World Cup 2026 tickets be on sale?
We do not know but – however you possibly can register your curiosity through the FIFA web site already.
They need to then, in idea, get in contact with you when details about ticket gross sales turns into out there.
Beforehand, tickets have been out there through the FAs of the competing nations, through basic sale, and – for those who’re very jammy – within the type of sponsor tickets.
Official match ball
What’s the official match ball on the World Cup 2026?
An official match ball for the World Cup 2026 is but to be unveiled.
Official mascots
What’s the mascot for the World Cup 2026?
Regardless of some spurious rumours that did the rounds a few years in the past, no mascot has but been introduced for the World Cup 2026. It’s attainable we might get a couple of, given there are three hosts at play.
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