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The FIFA World Cup 2026 is not weeks, but days away from the opening game in Mexico City on June 11. Known as the pinnacle of the sporting events, the 23rd edition of the football spectacle is bringing up a record 104 matches for the first time in its history.
The tournament has expanded from 32 to 48 teams, making it the biggest sporting event. The four-time champions, Italy, are set to miss the event for the third consecutive time, but fans will also witness four new teams making their FIFA World Cup debuts.
Sixteen cities from the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada are hosting the quadrennial event from June 11 to July 19. With global icons Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar featuring in their last FIFA event, the organizers are set to make it a memorable affair.
FIFA World Cup 2026 qualified teams
The USA, Canada and Mexico qualified as co-host nations for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Iraq, returning to the World Cup after four decades, was the last team to qualify through the playoffs.
Expanding a global reach, Curacao, Cape Verde, Jordan, and Uzbekistan qualified for the event for the first time. As expected, one-third of the teams are from Europe, followed by 10 teams from CAF (Africa) and 9 from AFC (Asia).
Host nations: Canada, Mexico, USA
AFC: Australia, Iraq, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan
CAF: Algeria, Cabo Verde, Congo DR, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Concacaf: Curacao, Haiti, Panama
CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
OFC: New Zealand
UEFA: England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czechia
FIFA World Cup 2026 Groups
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia
- Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
- Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye
- Group E: Germany, Curacao, Cote D’Ivoire, Ecuador
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
- Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
- Group H: Spain, Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
- Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
- Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
- Group K: Portugal, Congo DR, Uzbekistan, Colombia
- Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
FIFA World Cup 2026 Format
With the addition of 16 new slots and an expanded field, FIFA has added an extra knockout round (Round of 32). The FIFA World Cup will feature 12 groups of four teams each, with a single round robin format.
In the group stages, the winning team will receive 3 points, and teams will share a point each if the game is tied. There will be no extra 30-minute play and a penalty shootout. In the knockout stage, if the game is tied after 90 minutes, an additional 30-minute period will decide the result, followed by a penalty shootout if still tied.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 32. The eight best third-placed teams will also join the first elimination round, making the underdogs more competitive. The first knockout round will follow the Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the final on July 19.
So, a team needs to win eight straight games to lift the trophy at the iconic MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Also read: England squad for FIFA World Cup 2026: Harry Maguire, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer miss out
