The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest football tournament in history. For the first time ever, three nations will co-host the event: the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The tournament expands from 32 to 48 teams, creating a truly global spectacle.
Key Dates & Schedule
All 12 Groups
The draw was held on December 5, 2025 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Here are all 12 groups for the 2026 World Cup:
Group A
- ๐ฒ๐ฝ Mexico
- ๐ฐ๐ท South Korea
- ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa
- UEFA Playoff D
Group B
- ๐จ๐ฆ Canada
- ๐จ๐ญ Switzerland
- ๐ถ๐ฆ Qatar
- UEFA Playoff A
Group C
- ๐ง๐ท Brazil
- ๐ฒ๐ฆ Morocco
- ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ Scotland
- ๐ญ๐น Haiti
Group D
- ๐บ๐ธ USA
- ๐ฆ๐บ Australia
- ๐ต๐พ Paraguay
- UEFA Playoff C
Group E
- ๐ฉ๐ช Germany
- ๐จ๐ฎ Ivory Coast
- ๐จ๐ผ Curacao
- ๐ช๐จ Ecuador
Group F
- ๐ณ๐ฑ Netherlands
- ๐ฏ๐ต Japan
- ๐น๐ณ Tunisia
- UEFA Playoff B
Group G
- ๐ง๐ช Belgium
- ๐ช๐ฌ Egypt
- ๐ฎ๐ท Iran
- ๐ณ๐ฟ New Zealand
Group H
- ๐ช๐ธ Spain
- ๐ธ๐ฆ Saudi Arabia
- ๐บ๐พ Uruguay
- ๐จ๐ป Cape Verde
Group I
- ๐ซ๐ท France
- ๐ธ๐ณ Senegal
- ๐ณ๐ด Norway
- Intercontinental Playoff
Group J
- ๐ฆ๐ท Argentina
- ๐ฆ๐น Austria
- ๐ฉ๐ฟ Algeria
- ๐ฏ๐ด Jordan
Group K
- ๐ต๐น Portugal
- ๐จ๐ด Colombia
- ๐บ๐ฟ Uzbekistan
- Intercontinental Playoff
Group L
- ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ England
- ๐ญ๐ท Croatia
- ๐ฌ๐ญ Ghana
- ๐ต๐ฆ Panama
Note: The remaining 6 spots will be decided in the UEFA Playoffs and Intercontinental Playoffs in March 2026. Teams competing include Italy, Ukraine, Turkey, Poland, and others.
All 16 Stadiums
The tournament spans 16 world-class venues across three countries. The United States hosts 78 matches including all knockout rounds from the quarterfinals onwards.
| Stadium | City | Capacity | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| ๐บ๐ธMetLife Stadium | New York/New Jersey | 82,500 | FINAL |
| ๐บ๐ธAT&T Stadium | Dallas, Texas | 94,000 | 9 (Most) |
| ๐ฒ๐ฝEstadio Azteca | Mexico City | 87,523 | Opening Match |
| ๐บ๐ธSoFi Stadium | Los Angeles | 70,000 | 8 |
| ๐บ๐ธMercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta | 75,000 | 8 |
| ๐บ๐ธNRG Stadium | Houston | 72,220 | 7 |
| ๐บ๐ธHard Rock Stadium | Miami | 65,000 | 7 |
| ๐บ๐ธLumen Field | Seattle | 69,000 | 6 |
| ๐บ๐ธLincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia | 69,000 | 6 |
| ๐บ๐ธGillette Stadium | Boston | 65,000 | 6 |
| ๐บ๐ธLevi's Stadium | San Francisco | 68,500 | 6 |
| ๐บ๐ธArrowhead Stadium | Kansas City | 76,000 | 6 |
| ๐ฒ๐ฝEstadio BBVA | Monterrey | 53,500 | 5 |
| ๐ฒ๐ฝEstadio Akron | Guadalajara | 48,000 | 4 |
| ๐จ๐ฆBC Place | Vancouver | 54,000 | 7 |
| ๐จ๐ฆBMO Field | Toronto | 45,000 | 6 |
Qualified Teams by Confederation
Europe (UEFA) - 16 spots
Qualified (12): England, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Croatia, Switzerland, Austria, Scotland, Norway
Playoffs (March 2026): Italy, Ukraine, Turkey, Poland, Sweden, Wales, Denmark, Czechia, Romania, Slovakia, Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Rep. of Ireland, North Macedonia
South America (CONMEBOL) - 6 spots
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
Africa (CAF) - 9 spots
Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Asia (AFC) - 8 spots
Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
North/Central America (CONCACAF) - 6 spots
USA, Mexico, Canada (hosts), Haiti, Panama, Curacao
Oceania (OFC) - 1 spot
New Zealand
Historic Firsts
- First-time qualifiers: Jordan, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, and Curacao will make their World Cup debuts.
- Curacao becomes the smallest nation ever (population 156,000) to qualify for a World Cup.
- Haiti returns to the World Cup for the first time since 1974.
- Estadio Azteca becomes the first stadium to host matches in three different World Cups (1970, 1986, 2026).
- Canada hosts World Cup matches for the first time ever.
- First World Cup hosted by three nations simultaneously.
Tournament Favorites & Odds
Based on current betting odds and our AI analysis, here are the top contenders for the 2026 World Cup:
| Team | Odds | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| ๐ช๐ธ Spain | +450 | Euro 2024 winners. Peak form with young squad. |
| ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ England | +550 | Elite generation. Knocked on the door for years. |
| ๐ซ๐ท France | +750 | Enormous depth. Mbappe factor. Chemistry questions. |
| ๐ง๐ท Brazil | +800 | Vinicius Jr. leads new generation. 5x champions. |
| ๐ฆ๐ท Argentina | +800 | Defending champions. Messi's last dance at 39? |
| ๐ฉ๐ช Germany | +1000 | Rebuilding. Home-like advantage in USA. |
Tickets & How to Buy
Ticket Information
Official tickets are available only through FIFA.com/tickets. A random selection lottery is open until January 13, 2026. Visa is the exclusive payment method during initial sales.
Hospitality Packages: Premium experiences start at $2,500 per match and go up to $73,000+ for final packages. Available through On Location, FIFA's official hospitality provider.
Track Every World Cup Match Live
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Start TrackingNew Tournament Format
The 2026 World Cup introduces a revolutionary new format:
- 48 teams (up from 32) in 12 groups of 4
- Top 2 teams from each group advance, plus the 8 best third-placed teams
- New Round of 32 knockout stage added
- Total of 104 matches (up from 64)
- Tournament lasts 39 days (up from 32)
- Teams reaching the final play 8 matches (up from 7)
This marks the most significant expansion in World Cup history, giving more nations the chance to compete on football's biggest stage.