Football's Biggest World Cup Yet

Written by: JOEY BARTLETT

Millions of football fans across the globe are gearing up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a tournament expected to become the most-watched sporting event in history.

For the first time, the World Cup will be hosted by three nations: the United States, Canada and Mexico. With 48 teams, a record 104 matches and 16 host cities. The tournament promises to be the biggest ever staged, with FIFA projecting a global audience of more than five billion viewers.

The 2026 tournament will be the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32 in previous editions. The expanded format will produce a record 104 matches, making it the largest World Cup in history. The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

The United States, Canada and Mexico won hosting rights in 2018, beating a rival bid from Morocco.

It will be the first men's World Cup hosted by the United States since 1994. Mexico will become the first nation to host the tournament three times, having previously staged it in 1970 and 1986. Canada will host matches in a men's World Cup for the first time.

A total of 16 cities will stage games, 11 in the United States, two in Canada and three in Mexico. The final will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which can accommodate more than 82,500 spectators.

The New Format

The 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups of four.

The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to a newly created round of 32. From there, the competition moves into a straight knockout format through to the final.

The expansion is intended to give more nations the opportunity to compete on football's biggest stage.

Stars in the Spotlight

The tournament could potentially be the final World Cup appearance for global icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, should they qualify and choose to play.

Messi, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, will be 38 during the tournament.

Traditional football powers from every continent are also expected to feature, including Japan, South Korea and Australia from Asia, along with African contenders Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco and Cameroon.

Trophy Facts

The FIFA World Cup Trophy weighs 6.175 kilograms and is made of 18-carat gold.

The current design has been used since 1974. Before that, teams competed for the Jules Rimet Trophy, which was permanently awarded to Brazil after its third World Cup title in 1970. The trophy was later stolen and has never been recovered.

With more teams, more matches and more host cities than ever before, World Cup 2026 is set to be a landmark tournament in football history.