Completed · First 48-team edition · 16 host cities · 104 matches · 11 June – 19 July 2026.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the 23rd edition of football's flagship national-team tournament. It is the first World Cup to feature 48 teams and the first co-hosted by three nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico — with matches played across 16 host cities. The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026 and features 104 matches in total, making it the largest World Cup ever staged.
The 48 qualified teams are split into 12 groups of four. Each team plays the other three group members once. The top two from every group plus the eight best third-placed teams advance to a 32-team knockout round, followed by a Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place play-off and the Final.
Slots are distributed across confederations: AFC (8), CAF (9), CONCACAF (6 plus 3 host spots), CONMEBOL (6), OFC (1) and UEFA (16). Two additional places are decided through an intercontinental play-off tournament.
The FIFA World Cup has been held every four years since 1930, with the exception of 1942 and 1946. Brazil are the most successful nation with five titles, followed by Germany and Italy on four. Argentina are the defending champions after beating France on penalties in the Qatar 2022 Final. The 2026 edition is the first time the United States has hosted since 1994, Mexico's third time as host, and Canada's first.