Today marks 3 days until the biggest sporting event in the world officially kicks off. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the first edition of the tournament to include 48 teams and the first time the competition has been co-hosted by three different countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The United States last hosted the tournament in 1994, while Mexico previously hosted in 1970 and 1986. Canada will host the cup for the first time.
The 2026 World Cup will be the 23rd edition of the quadrennial tournament and will take place from June 11 through July 19. A total of 104 matches will be played over 39 days.
History of the Cup
The first edition of the FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930 and featured just 13 teams. Since then, the competition has been held every four years, except during World War II, when the 1942 and 1946 editions were cancelled.
Only eight nations have won the World Cup across the previous 22 edition:
- Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
- Germany (1954*, 1974*, 1990*, 2014)
- Italy (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)
- Argentina (1978, 1986, 2022)
- France (1998, 2018)
- Uruguay (1930, 1950)
- England (1966)
- Spain (2010)
Germany’s first three titles came as West Germany before reunification.
The original World Cup trophy was the Jules Rimet Trophy, which was first awarded in 1930. After Brazil won its third World Cup title in 1970, it earned the right to permanently keep the trophy. The current FIFA World Cup Trophy was introduced in 1974 and was first awarded to West Germany.
Replica of the Jules Rimet trophy on display at the National Football Museum in Preston.
Photo: Taken by Abel Lafleur. Wikipedia. Creative Commons. No changes were made to this image
The competition’s format has evolved significantly throughout its history. The inaugural tournament in 1930 featured 13 teams before expanding to 16 in 1934. The field dropped to 15 teams in 1938 and returned to 13 after World War II. In 1954, the tournament again expanded to 16 teams.
The World Cup remained at 16 teams until 1982, when it expanded to 24. In 1998, the tournament moved to 32 teams, a format that remained in place through 2022. The 2026 edition will mark the first World Cup to feature 48 teams.
Who, What, When and Where?
The 2026 World Cup will take place from June 11 through July 19 across 16 stadiums in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
United States Venues
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Gillette Stadium, Boston, Massachusetts
- AT&T Stadium, Dallas, Texas
- NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Kansas
- SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, California
- Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida
- MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey
- Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco Bay Area
- Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
Mexico Venues
- Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
- Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
- Estadio BBVA, Monterrey
Canada Venues
- BMO Field, Toronto
- BC Place, Vancouver
The tournament will feature 48 teams that will be split into 12 groups. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place teams, will advance to the Round of 32. From there, the tournament will continue through the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final.
Groups
| Group A | Group B | Group C |
| Mexico South Africa South Korea Czechia | Canada Bosnia & Herzegovina Qatar Switzerland | Brazil Morocco Haiti Scotland |
| Group D | Group E | Group F |
| USA Paraguay Australia Türkiye | Germany Curaçao Ivory Coast Ecuador | Netherlands Japan Sweden Tunisia |
| Group G | Group H | Group I |
| Belgium Egypt Iran New Zealand | Spain Cape Verde Saudi Arabia Uruguay | France Senegal Iraq Norway |
| Group J | Group K | Group L |
| Argentina Algeria Austria Jordan | Portugal DR Congo Uzbekistan Colombia | England Croatia Ghana Panama |
For the official FIFA World Cup 2026 match schedule, visit FIFA’s official website for match dates, locations and venue information. Stay tuned for in-depth coverage of the biggest World Cup yet here at Futbolhijo.com. My next article will be an analysis of Groups A, B and C.
Cover Photo: The Trionda, the offical match ball of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Taken by UKinUSA. Wikipedia. Creative Commons
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