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2026 World Cup to Feature 48 Teams for the First Time
The 2026 World Cup will be held with 48 teams for the first time in its history. The tournament will begin on June 11 and will be jointly hosted by three North American countries for the first time.
The 2026 World Cup will be one of the largest tournaments in football history. FIFA has announced that the tournament will feature 48 teams and will kick off on June 11.
This time, Mexico, the USA, and Canada will jointly host the event. This marks the first time the World Cup will be organized by three North American countries together.
The tournament format, which has featured 32 teams since 1998, will also change. Between 1982 and 1994, the championship included 24 teams.
Four new countries to participate for the first time
With the new system, four teams have earned the right to participate in the World Cup for the first time. Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan are among the new entrants to the tournament.
This development stands out as one of the most notable expansions in recent years. It will be the largest influx of new participants since the 2006 World Cup.
Group stage and knockout format changed
The increase in the number of teams has directly altered the tournament format. The group stage has been expanded to 12 groups, labeled from A to L.
The round of 32 will be the first stage of the new knockout format. Teams finishing first and second in their groups will advance directly, while the best third-placed teams will also qualify for the next round.
In this stage, the top eight teams from the mini-league will face the leaders of groups A, B, D, E, G, I, K, or L.
104 matches to be played in the tournament
The new 48-team format also increases the total number of matches. A total of 104 matches will be played throughout the World Cup.
There is also discussion about further expanding the tournament for its centenary year in 2030. CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American football, has proposed a 64-team tournament primarily hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
For now, the summer of 2026 is set to open a new chapter in World Cup history.
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