World Cup 2026
Canada · Mexico · United States
Opening match: 11 June 2026
Tournament leaders
Final Golden Boot and Assist Master standings from the tournament.
- 1
7assists - 2
4assists - 3
4assists - 4
4assists - 5
4assists
Team of the Tournament
World Cup 2026The standout XI of the 2026 World Cup, by average player rating across the whole tournament.
Player of the Tournament
8.2
7.9
7.9
Attack & defence
Live race for the most lethal attack and the meanest defence of the tournament.
A new era: the first 48-team World Cup
World Cup 2026 is the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup and the first to be staged across three nations: Canada, Mexico and the United States. It is also the first 48-team World Cup, up from 32, expanding the tournament to a record 104 matches played between 11 June and 19 July 2026.
The 48 teams are drawn into 12 groups of four, and every team plays three group-stage matches. The top two from each group advance automatically, joined by the eight best third-placed teams, giving 32 teams in the knockout stage.
From there the tournament is a straight knockout: the new Round of 32 feeds into the Round of 16, the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, before a third-place play-off and the final on 19 July 2026. A team that goes all the way plays eight matches in total, one more than at previous World Cups, because of the extra round.
Matches are played in 16 host cities across the three countries. The full match schedule lists every group-stage fixture and its kickoff time.
The 48 nations
Every country in the first 48-team World Cup, across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Groups
Live standings across all 12 groups. The top two of each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, reach the round of 32.
- 1
Mexico3+69 - 2
South Africa3-14 - 3
South Korea3-13 - 4
Czechia3-41
- 1
Switzerland3+47 - 2
Canada3+54 - 3
Bosnia & Herzegovina3-14 - 4
Qatar3-81
- 1
Germany3+66 - 2
Ivory Coast3+26 - 3
Ecuador304 - 4
Curaçao3-81
- 1
Netherlands3+67 - 2
Japan3+45 - 3
Sweden304 - 4
Tunisia3-100
- 1
Belgium3+45 - 2
Egypt3+25 - 3
Iran303 - 4
New Zealand3-61
- 1
Spain3+57 - 2
Cape Verde Islands303 - 3
Uruguay3-12 - 4
Saudi Arabia3-42
- 1
Colombia3+37 - 2
Portugal3+55 - 3
Congo DR3+14 - 4
Uzbekistan3-90
Best third-placed teams
The third-placed team from every group, ranked against each other. The eight best thirds join the group winners and runners-up in the round of 32, everyone above the line would go through as it stands. Rows turn green once a team is officially confirmed.
Knockout bracket
The road to the final. Every tie is mapped out and fills in automatically as the group stage decides who goes through.
Host nations
World Cup 2026 FAQ
How does the World Cup 2026 knockout stage work?
The 48 teams are drawn into 12 groups of four. The top two of every group plus the eight best third-placed teams, 32 sides in total, reach the round of 32, followed by the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final.
How do the best third-placed teams qualify?
The third-placed team from each of the 12 groups is ranked against the others. The eight best, compared first on points, then goal difference, then goals scored, advance to the round of 32 alongside the group winners and runners-up.
How many teams play in the World Cup 2026?
48 teams, the first 48-team FIFA World Cup, hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
When and where is the World Cup 2026 final?
The final is played on 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium in the New York/New Jersey area. The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026.
FIFA World Cup 2026™ · 11 June to 19 July · Canada · Mexico · USA
