The 2026 World Cup is a tournament of firsts. It is the biggest edition in the competition's history, and several things set it apart from everything that came before.
Three hosts, 48 teams
For the first time, three nations share hosting duties: the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is also the first World Cup with 48 teams, up from 32, split into 12 groups of four. The expansion pushes the match count from 64 to 104, played across 39 days.
A new knockout round
The bigger field means a brand-new Round of 32 before the familiar Round of 16. The top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams make up the 32 that reach the knockouts. Winning it all now takes eight victories rather than seven.
New faces and big moments
Several nations are making their World Cup debut, including Cabo Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. Argentina arrive as the defending champions after their 2022 triumph. And the final is set to feature the first live half-time show in World Cup history, a clear sign of how much the event has grown.