The 2026 FIFA World Cup is going to be unlike any other. With the competition expanding, more teams than ever will compete for professional soccer’s most coveted prize when the revamped tournament kicks off in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
The World Cup’s first makeover of the century presents plenty of opportunities and challenges, as 48 teams get set to play in 16 host cities in North America’s first World Cup since 1994.
Here’s a breakdown of how the revamped 2026 World Cup format and the differences we can expect:
How has the World Cup format changed since 1930?
Whether it’s the World Cup or the European Championship, organizers have been obsessed with expansion. And for good reason, predictably, as there’s plenty of money to be made.
It remains to be seen whether that results in a watered down version of the sport’s biggest event. But changes to the World Cup format have historically proved to be successful whenever instituted.
Here’s how the tournament has evolved over the years:
- Between 13-16 teams were scheduled to participate at the World Cup from the inaugural tournament in 1930 until 1950.
- There were 16 teams in 1954, while the number of games increased from 22 (in 1950) to between 26 and 38. This format lasted until 1978.
- There was further expansion in 1982 when 24 teams were able to qualify. This format was in place until 1994.
- The 32-team format was introduced in 1998 and lasted until 2022.
- In 2026, a new round of 32 was introduced to accommodate the expansion to 48 teams.
How many teams are competing in the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup – the first tournament to be hosted by three nations – will be the biggest ever, with 48 teams set to compete. It’s an increase of 16 teams compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The expansion has helped smaller countries such as Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan qualify for the World Cup for the first time.
How many games will be played at the 2026 World Cup?
The tournament is expanding from 64 games to 104 games, a 47% increase of games played compared to the tournament four years ago.
Teams that reach the semifinals will have played eight matches, one more than in previous World Cups at the same stage.
And while the 2022 World Cup lasted 29 days, the 2026 World Cup is scheduled for 39 days, beginning June 11 and ending July 19.
How will the 2026 World Cup group stage format work?
There are now 12 groups (labeled A through L) of four teams vying for a chance to progress from the opening stage of the World Cup. Previously there were eight groups with four teams.
FIFA considered a format consisting of 16 groups with three teams. But player welfare and sporting integrity were among the considerations that led to the 12-group setup.
Like tournaments in the past, each team plays three group stage matches against every nation in its group.
The top two teams from each group advance to the next stage automatically, while the eight best third-placed finishers – based on points and then goal differential – also move on.
How will the knockout rounds at the 2026 World Cup work?
A new round of 32 will be introduced for the first time in World Cup history to accommodate the increase in teams participating. To put it into perspective, the last World Cup only featured 32 teams in total.
The placement of advancing teams in the World Cup bracket will be determined by which groups the eight third-place qualifiers come from.
From the round of 32 onward, the World Cup will consist of single-elimination matches.
The tournament then unfolds as it did in previous editions after the round of 32, with the round of 16 preceding the quarterfinal and semifinal matchups. The third-place match will take place a day before the final.
Additionally, the four highest ranked teams, according to FIFA, will be kept apart to open the knockout round. These four teams cannot meet each other until at least the semifinals.
The special seeding would impact top-ranked Spain, Argentina, France and England, respectively, based on FIFA’s current rankings.
Spain and Argentina – the defending champion – would be on opposite sides of the bracket, as would France and England. For example, assuming the top seeds win their groups, Spain couldn’t meet Argentina until the final. The same rule would apply to France and England.
2022 World Cup vs. 2026 World Cup format comparison
| Tournament year | Number of teams | Number of groups | Total matches | Round after group stage |
| 2022 World Cup | 32 | 8 | 64 | Round of 16 |
| 2026 World Cup | 48 | 12 | 104 | Round of 32 |
What are the 2026 World Cup dates?
- Group stage: June 11 – June 27
- Round of 32: June 28 – July 3
- Round of 16: July 4 – July 7
- Quarterfinals: July 6 – July 11
- Semifinals: July 14 and July 15
- Third-place match: July 18
- Final: July 19
Have all 48 teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
Not yet, but the remaining six spots will be filled by March 31.
Four of the six places will be filled by teams that emerge from UEFA’s playoffs, while the remaining two will come from inter-confederation playoffs. All matches will be single-leg elimination games.
A list of all the prospective matches can be found here.
UEFA playoff semifinals (March 26, 2026)
Path A
- Semifinal 1: Italy vs. Northern Ireland
- Semifinal 2: Wales v Bosnia and Herzegovina
Path B
- SF3: Ukraine vs. Sweden
- SF4: Poland vs. Albania
Path C
- SF5: Turkey vs. Romania
- SF6: Slovakia vs. Kosovo
Path D
- SF7: Denmark vs. North Macedonia
- SF8: Czech Republic vs. Republic of Ireland
The finals for Paths A-D will be played March 31.
Inter-confederation semifinals (March 26, 2026)
Path A semifinal
- New Caledonia vs. Jamaica
Path B semifinal
- Bolivia vs. Suriname
Finals (March 31 2026)
Path A
- DR Congo vs. Winner of semifinal A
Path B
- Iraq vs. Winner of semifinal B
What are the 2026 World Cup venues?
The 2026 World Cup will be played in 16 host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The 16 World Cup venues represent the highest number since 2002, when 20 stadiums were used across host nations Japan and South Korea. The 20th century record was 17 venues at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
The tournament will kick off in Mexico City on June 11 when Mexico hosts South Africa at the Estadio Azteca, the country’s first World Cup match on home soil since 1986. The first-ever World Cup game in Canada will be played June 12 between Canada and the winner of the UEFA playoff Path A final. And the first game in the United States since 1994 is between the U.S. and Paraguay on June 12.
The final will take place on July 19 in the United States at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
United States venues (11)
Dallas Stadium – Arlington, Texas (capacity 94,000)
New York New Jersey Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey (capacity 82,500)
Atlanta Stadium – Atlanta, Georgia (capacity 75,000)
Kansas City Stadium – Kansas City, Missouri (capacity 73,000)
Houston Stadium – Houston, Texas (capacity 72,000)
San Francisco Bay Area Stadium – Santa Clara, California (capacity 71,000)
Los Angeles Stadium – Inglewood, California (capacity 70,000)
Philadelphia Stadium – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (capacity 69,000)
Seattle Stadium – Seattle, Washington (capacity 69,000)
Boston Stadium – Foxborough, Massachusetts (capacity 65,000)
Miami Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida (capacity 65,000)
Canada venues (2)
Toronto Stadium – Toronto (capacity 45,000)
BC Place Vancouver – Vancouver (capacity 54,000)
Mexico venues (3)
Estadio Azteca Mexico City – Mexico City (capacity 83,000)
Estadio Monterrey – Guadalupe (capacity 53,500)
Estadio Guadalajara – Zapopan (capacity 48,000)