FIFA World Cup 2026

---

---

Location

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Matches will take place in a variety of iconic North American cities, showcasing the continent’s passion for the game and diverse cultural backdrop.

FIFA’s selection of the FIFA World Cup 2026 hosts followed a multi-stage bidding and evaluation process governed by established rotation and technical-requirements rules:

1. Eligibility & Rotation Rules In October 2016, FIFA’s Council reaffirmed that confederations which had hosted the two previous tournaments would be ineligible to bid. Having awarded 2018 to Russia (UEFA) and 2022 to Qatar (AFC), UEFA and AFC were excluded, leaving CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, CAF and OFC as potential bidders. FIFA also reserved the right to make exceptions if no bid from an eligible confederation met all technical and financial criteria.
2. Co-hosting Approval After banning joint bids post-2002, FIFA in May 2017 formally allowed multi-nation hosting “evaluated on a case-by-case basis.” That opened the door to a three-way bid from the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
3. Declaration of Interest & Bid Book Interested associations submitted a written “declaration of interest” and then compiled comprehensive bid books detailing proposed stadiums, transport networks, accommodation, security plans, and financial guarantees. The United 2026 bid book, released in April 2017, outlined 60 matches in the U.S., plus 10 each in Canada and Mexico.
4. Technical Evaluation FIFA’s General Secretariat and Competitions Committee, with independent experts, assessed each bid against 29 criteria (stadium quality, infrastructure, human rights commitments, sustainability, and more). Bidders could be excluded if minimum standards weren’t met The World Cup Guide.
5. Final Vote at FIFA Congress On June 13, 2018, during the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow, all 203 eligible FIFA member associations cast secret ballots. The North American joint bid won decisively with 134 votes to Morocco’s 65; one vote was “None of the bids” and three abstained. A simple majority of 101 was required Wikipedia.

Through this structured process—balancing rotation policies, rigorous technical scrutiny, and a democratic Congress vote—FIFA entrusted the 2026 tournament to the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking the first three-nation World Cup in history.

Format

The 2026 FIFA World Cup ushers in its largest-ever field of 48 teams, organized as follows:

• Group Stage: 12 groups of four teams each. Every team plays three matches (one against each group opponent). Standard points apply (3 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss).
• Advancement: The top two teams from each group (24 teams total), plus the eight best third-placed teams across all groups, progress to the knockout phase, creating a 32-team bracket.
• Knockout Rounds: Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Third-Place Playoff Final.
• Matches & Duration: A total of 104 matches will be played over 39 days. Teams that reach the final will each play eight matches— one more than in the previous 32-team editions.

Hosts

• United States: Will stage 60 matches, including the final, across cities such as New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium), Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium), Dallas (AT&T Stadium), and others.
• Canada: Will host 10 matches in cities including Toronto (BMO Field), Vancouver (BC Place), and Edmonton (Commonwealth Stadium).
• Mexico: Will feature 10 matches in historic venues like Mexico City (Estadio Azteca), Guadalajara (Estadio Akron), and Monterrey (Estadio BBVA).

Teams

With 48 tournament berths up for grabs in the FIFA World Cup 2026, global representation reaches new heights. Slot allocation by confederation is as follows:

• UEFA (Europe): 9 direct spots
• CAF (Africa): 9 direct spots
• AFC (Asia): 8 direct spots
• CONMEBOL (South America): 6 direct spots
• CONCACAF (North, Central America & Caribbean): 6 direct spots
• OFC (Oceania): 1 direct spot
• Intercontinental playoffs: 4 spots decided among teams from different confederations

Here are the national sides most likely to make waves at FIFA World Cup 2026:

• Argentina
  – World Ranking: 1st Inside FIFA
  – Why watch: Defending World Cup champions (2022) and back-to-back Copa América winners (2021, 2024), led by Lionel Messi’s legacy and a deep pool of attacking talent.
• Spain
  – World Ranking: 2nd 
  – Why watch: Fresh off their record-fourth UEFA European Championship title (beat England 2–1 in the Euro 2024 final) WikipediaReuters, La Roja mix experienced winners with an exciting crop of young stars (e.g., Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams).
• France
  – World Ranking: 3rd 
  – Why watch: 2018 World Cup winners, 2022 runners-up—Les Bleus boast a generational midfield/attack (Mbappé, Griezmann, etc.) and consistently reach late stages of major tournaments.
• England
  – World Ranking: 4th 
  – Why watch: Euro 2020 finalists and Euro 2024 runners-up, England combine Premier League–honed depth with emerging talents (Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden) under Gareth Southgate’s tactically flexible approach.
• Brazil
  – World Ranking: 5th 
  – Why watch: Five-time World Cup champions famed for flair and creativity; Neymar’s leadership plus a host of young stars (e.g. Vini Jr, Rodrygo) make them perennial favourites.
• Netherlands
  – World Ranking: 6th 
  – Why watch: Oranje have regained form under an attacking system that yielded a strong Nations League run and boast talents like Frenkie de Jong and Cody Gakpo.
• Portugal
  – World Ranking: 7th 
  – Why watch: With Cristiano Ronaldo’s era winding down, Portugal’s new generation (Bruno Fernandes, João Félix) looks to cement itself on the world stage, backed by experienced veterans.
• Belgium
  – World Ranking: 8th 
  – Why watch: Though their “Golden Generation” is aging, players like Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku still drive a side capable of upsets deep into the tournament.

Dark-Horse & host nations to keep an eye on in FIFA World Cup 2026:

• Italy (9th) & Germany (10th): Former champions rebuilding under new managers.
• Croatia (11th) & Morocco (12th): Both reached the 2022 World Cup semifinals; possess tactical discipline and experienced midfields.
• United States (14th): Co-hosts with rapidly improving MLS-fed talent.
• Mexico (17th): Co-hosts boasting passionate “home advantage” and a history of World Cup surprises.

These 14 teams combine pedigree, current form and emerging stars—keep them firmly on your tournament watchlist!

Venues & Qualifications

Venues

A total of 16 stadiums have been selected to host FIFA World Cup 2026 matches:

1. MetLife Stadium (USA)
2. SoFi Stadium (USA)
3. AT&T Stadium (USA)
4. Arrowhead Stadium (USA)
5. Gillette Stadium (USA)
6. Estadio Azteca (Mexico)
7. Estadio Akron (Mexico)
8. Estadio BBVA (Mexico)
9. BMO Field (Canada)
10. BC Place (Canada)
11. Commonwealth Stadium (Canada)
12. Soldier Field (USA)
13. Lumen Field (USA)
14. Nissan Stadium (USA)
15. NRG Stadium (USA)
16. [Plus one final TBD venue to complete the lineup.]

Qualification

Each of FIFA’s six continental confederations is running its own qualification tournament:

• CONCACAF: Top six teams qualify directly.
• UEFA: Nine teams qualify directly; runners-up enter intercontinental playoffs.
• AFC: Eight spots awarded via group and knockout rounds.
• CAF: Nine group winners earn direct qualification.
• CONMEBOL: Top six from the single-round robin qualify.
• OFC: Winner enters intercontinental playoff for one of the final four places.
• Intercontinental Playoffs: Four teams compete for the remaining four tournament spots.

Return to the homepage here!

FIFA World Cup 2026