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The 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will go down in history as the largest ever World Cup. For the first time, 48 national teams will compete in the finals, up from 32 teams in previous editions.
FIFA's decision to expand the tournament aims to give more countries the opportunity to take part in the most important competition in world football. The continents that are expected to benefit the most from this scheme are Africa, Asia and North America, although it remains to be seen whether the increase in the number of participants will affect the quality level of the competition.
There will also be significant changes to the tournament format. Instead of eight groups of four teams, as has been the case so far, the 2026 World Cup will have 12 groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group will automatically qualify, while the eight best third-placed teams will also advance to the next stage.
As a result, the number of teams advancing from the group stage will be 32, bringing an additional round to the tournament. For the first time, a round of 16 stage will be held, before the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. This means that the teams that reach the final, as well as those playing for third place, will play eight matches in total, one more than in the previous format.
The increase in the number of teams also brings a significant increase in the number of matches. From the 64 matches that took place in previous editions, the 2026 World Cup will include a full 104 challenges. For this reason, the duration of the tournament will be extended from one month to 40 days, starting on June 11 and ending on July 19.
The group stage will take place from June 11 to 28. Immediately after that, the knockout stage will begin, without a day off. The first match of the round of 16 will be played on June 28, while the program will continue uninterrupted until July 7, when the last matches of the round of 16 will be played.
A day off is scheduled for July 8, while the quarterfinals will be played from July 9 to 12. After another day off on July 13, the two semifinals will take place on July 14 and 15.
The third-place match will be played on July 17, while the grand final of the 2026 World Cup is scheduled for July 19 at the MetLife Stadium, where the new world champion will be crowned.
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