The 2026 World Cup will have some format changes and will be held in three countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada. This will be the first edition of the World Cup to be hosted by three nations, which were chosen to accommodate the 48 teams that will compete in the competition.
Format with increased number of teams
The increase in the number of teams in the World Cup is the main reason why these countries joined the organization of the event. Therefore, with 48 teams, a larger structure is needed to accommodate teams and fans, in addition to meeting the demand for stadiums, matches and financial transactions.
The division of vacancies for the next competition was as follows:
Asia: 8 (4 more compared to the last Cup)
Africa: 9 (4 more)
Central and North America and the Caribbean: 6 (3 more)
South America: 6 (2 more)
Europe: 16 (3 more)
Oceania: 1 (1 more)
In addition to the teams that qualify directly, the World Cup reserves two additional places for the teams that will compete in the world qualifiers. In this final phase of the qualifiers, six teams will participate: one from Asia, one from Africa, one from South America, one from Oceania and two from Concacaf. After the draw, the selected teams will face each other and the two best placed will guarantee their places for the World Cup.
While FIFA’s main justification for this increase is an attempt to democratize the Cup, numbers and opinions around the world point out that it is just greed for even more financial returns and internal politics. After all, an income of R$ 21 billion is expected with the performance of 80 games in 32 days. This amount is 35% higher than the income generated in the World Cup held in Brazil in 2014.
New competition format and structure
The participation of the 48 selections will be divided into 12 groups. The top two teams in each group advance to the knockout stage, making a total of 32 teams. And then, from there, the competition will follow the traditional knockout format until the grand final.
This format change will allow more teams to participate in the tournament, which means more opportunities for less traditional players and teams. In addition, the competition is expected to generate more revenue and, in theory, boost the development of football in peripheral parts of the world.
2026 FIFA World Cup host cities
The tournament will take place in 16 cities across the three countries. Canada will host matches in Vancouver and Toronto, while Mexico will host matches in Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City.
Due to the number of different cities and countries, players will have to adapt to the new intense game schedule and different time zones.
Atlantic (-4 from GMT and -1 from Brasilia): Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles
Central (-5 from GMT and -2 from Brasilia): Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City
Pacific (-7 GMT and -4 Brasilia): Atlanta, Miami, Boston, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Toronto
Last Cup hosted in the United States was the one that attracted the most public in the entire history of the competition
The first and last time that the North American country hosted a World Cup was in 1994 and even though football is not as traditional there, this year’s competition was the one that attracted the most public in the entire history of the event, record which is maintained until today. According to official figures from FIFA, 94,194 people were present at the Rose Bowl stadium, in Pasadena, California, to follow the final between Brazil and Italy.
However, while expectations were high for the host team, the Brazilian team eliminated the Americans in the round of 16 and became four-time world champion in that competition.