It only seems like yesterday that Lionel Messi was lifting the Jules Rimet trophy in Qatar following Argentina’s dramatic win over France in the 2022 World Cup Final.
Will he be back in 2026? It seems unlikely, so with both Messi and Ronaldo out of the game, who will fill their shoes on the world’s biggest stage?
And, more importantly, which country will reign victorious in the 2026 World Cup?
Where Will It Be Held?
The decision on where to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup was finalised at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow on June 13, 2018.
Delegates had two options: a joint bid from Canada, Mexico, and the United States or a separate bid from Morocco.
In the end, the North American bid prevailed, winning 134 votes compared to Morocco’s 65.
This outcome means that for the first time, the World Cup will be hosted by three countries, and it’s only the second time the tournament will be spread across multiple nations, the first being in 2002 when South Korea and Japan co-hosted.
There were plenty of reasons why the US won the bid, not least of which was the presence of existing world-class stadiums and infrastructure, which meant that no new stadiums needed to be built for the tournament.
The North American bid also promised a higher potential for economic benefits, including an estimated $5 billion in economic activity across the continent.
Plus, the US had previously hosted the 1994 World Cup, and Mexico had hosted it in 1970 and 1986, providing a track record of successful large-scale sporting events.
Overall, experience won out and so that’s where we’ll all be heading when it takes place between from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
New 48-Team Format
The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams, up from the 32 that have competed in recent tournaments.
This will extend the tournament’s duration to 39 days, compared to the 32 days of previous editions, such as the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.
It also means an increase in the total number of matches, which will rise from 64 to 104 games.
These teams will be divided into 12 groups of 4, and each team will still play three group matches. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the knockout stage of 32 teams.
The new format has not been without its critics. The expansion could lead to fixture congestion and logistical challenges in scheduling and venue management.
And while we always advocate for smaller teams to be included, we also know that some end up just being fillers with absolutely no hope of ever getting out of their group.
That problem will only grow with the additional 16 teams, and there is a concern that the overall quality and intensity of the tournament might be diluted even further.
However, it also means teams that have narrowly missed out on qualification in the past may now finally get a chance to compete at the highest level and who can argue with that?
Host Cities
The 2026 World Cup will be spread across 16 cities in the three host nations, with the United States hosting the majority of the matches.
Cities like Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Dallas are among the key locations. Mexico will contribute three cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. Canada will host matches in Vancouver and Toronto.
In the U.S., the matches will be played in some of the largest and most modern stadiums, including the 92,000-seat Rose Bowl in Pasadena and the state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, a legendary venue that has already hosted two World Cup finals, will be the centrepiece of Mexico’s contribution.
As with previous tournaments, much anticipation surrounds the opening match and the final.
Unusually, there are essentially three opening matches, the first of which will take place on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
The opening match involving Canada will take place on June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto, while the opening game for the U.S. will take place on the same day at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Los Angeles, which is currently home to the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams.
The 2026 World Cup Final will be played on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey. With a capacity of 82,500, the stadium is home to both the New York Giants and the New York Jets.
Qualification
The qualification rules for the 2026 FIFA World Cup involve an expanded format due to the increase to 48 participating teams.
Automatic Qualification: The host nations—Canada, Mexico, and the United States—automatically qualify for the tournament.
AFC (Asia): 8 direct slots, plus 1 intercontinental playoff spot.
CAF (Africa): 9 direct slots, plus 1 intercontinental playoff spot.
CONCACAF (North and Central America): 6 slots, with 3 going to the hosts and 2 to the intercontinental playoffs.
CONMEBOL (South America): 6 direct slots, plus 1 intercontinental playoff spot.
OFC (Oceania): 1 direct slot, plus 1 intercontinental playoff spot.
UEFA (Europe): 16 direct slots, with additional places determined through a confederation playoff.
Intercontinental Playoffs: An intercontinental playoff tournament will determine the final two World Cup spots.
This involves six teams: one from each confederation except UEFA, plus an additional team from CONCACAF.
Two teams will be seeded and will play against the winners of two knockout games between the four unseeded teams.
Qualification for the 2026 World Cup began on October 12, 2023, with the Asian Confederation starting their first round of matches.
Other confederations have different start dates for their qualification processes, such as CONMEBOL (South America), which began in September 2023, and CAF (Africa), which started in November 2023.
UEFA will begin its qualification process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on March 21, 2025. The qualification matches will continue until March 31, 2026, which are the final matches in the qualification process across all confederations.
