The 2026 World Cup: the first 48-team tournament, hosted by three nations

The 2026 FIFA World Cup was a tournament of firsts. Staged from 11 June to 19 July 2026, it was the first to feature 48 teams (up from 32), the first played across three host countries, and the longest ever at 39 days.

The format

The expansion added 16 nations and created a 104-match schedule: 72 group-stage games and 24 in the knockout rounds. The tournament was hosted in 16 cities — 11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico and 2 in Canada.

Records set

• Attendance: 6,810,966 fans, a World Cup record
• Goals: 308 across the tournament (2.96 per match)
• Players: 1,039 from 48 nations

Why it mattered

The bigger field meant more confederations and smaller nations reached the finals than ever before, widening the global footprint of the game. For North America, it was the region’s first World Cup since 1994 (USA) and 1986 (Mexico).

Sources

• Britannica — 2026 FIFA World Cup: https://www.britannica.com/event/2026-FIFA-World-Cup
• FIFA — Tournament overview: https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026