FIFA World Cup 2026 to debut new 48-team format
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The FIFA World Cup 2026 will usher in a new era for international football, with the tournament expanding from 32 teams to 48 teams for the first time in its history.
The competition will begin on June 11 and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
It will be the largest World Cup ever held, both in terms of participating nations and total matches.
Under the new format, the 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups of four teams each. Every team will play three group-stage matches, as in previous editions.
The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage. This means 32 teams will progress beyond the group phase, compared with 16 teams under the previous format.
To accommodate the larger field, FIFA has introduced a new Round of 32, which will be played before the Round of 16. The tournament will then continue through the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final.
The expansion will increase the total number of matches from 64 to 104, with the competition running for nearly six weeks.
The larger tournament has opened the door for several nations to return to the World Cup after long absences. Iraq will make its first appearance in 40 years, while Scotland is set to play in its first World Cup in 28 years.
A total of 16 stadiums will host matches across the three host nations, including 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. The United States will stage most of the matches, including the final.
Mexico will become the first country to host matches in three separate World Cups, having previously hosted the tournaments in 1970 and 1986.
FIFA expects the expanded tournament to become one of the largest sporting events in history in terms of revenue, broadcasting reach, and fan attendance, with the increased number of matches expected to boost global viewership.