The FIFA World Cup is a quadrennial international soccer tournament held among the national teams of the member countries of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). The next FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place in 2026 and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This will be the first time that the World Cup is held in multiple countries since the 2002 tournament, which was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.
The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams, up from the current 32-team format, and will be held from June 16 to July 16, 2026. A total of 80 matches will be played across the three host countries, with the final taking place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The 2026 World Cup will be the 23rd edition of the tournament, which was first held in 1930. It is widely regarded as the most prestigious and widely followed soccer competition in the world, and attracts billions of viewers and spectators from around the globe.
Here are a few more details about the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
- The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature an expanded field of 48 teams, up from the current 32-team format. This expansion was approved by FIFA in 2017 and will see an additional 16 teams participate in the tournament.
- The 2026 World Cup will be the first to be held in multiple countries since the 2002 tournament, which was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. The United States, Canada, and Mexico will host the 2026 tournament, with matches taking place in 23 cities across the three countries.
- The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature a 48-team format, with 16 groups of three teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, which will consist of a round of 32, a round of 16, and the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final.
- The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, which allows the use of video replays to assist the referee in making decisions during the match.
- The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature a new match ball, the Adidas “Telstar Mechta,” which will be used in all matches at the tournament. The ball features a new design inspired by the 1970 Telstar ball, which was used in the first World Cup held outside of Europe.
Here are a few more details about the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
- The United States, Canada, and Mexico were selected to host the 2026 World Cup in June 2018, after winning the bid to host the tournament over Morocco. This will be the first time that the World Cup is held in the United States since 1994 and the first time it is held in Canada and Mexico.
- A total of 23 cities across the three host countries will host matches during the 2026 World Cup. The venues include both new and existing stadiums, such as the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
- The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature a 48-team format, with 16 groups of three teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, which will consist of a round of 32, a round of 16, and the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final.
- The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, which allows the use of video replays to assist the referee in making decisions during the match. The use of VAR has been controversial in some quarters, but it has been widely adopted by FIFA and other soccer organizations as a way to improve the accuracy of refereeing decisions.
- The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature a new match ball, the Adidas “Telstar Mechta,” which will be used in all matches at the tournament. The ball features a new design inspired by the 1970 Telstar ball, which was used in the first World Cup held outside of Europe.