The summer of 2026 will enter the history of football. From June 11 to July 19, three countries — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — will host the most extensive World Cup in the tournament's history [citation:3][citation:7]. For the first time, 48 national teams will play, matches will be held on the territory of three countries, and the total number of matches will reach 104 [citation:1][citation:8]. North America is holding its breath in anticipation. The world is preparing for a football marathon that will last almost a month and a half and bring us a new champion.

48 teams: a new era of world football

The main sensation of this World Cup is its scale. FIFA has expanded the tournament from 32 to 48 national teams [citation:4][citation:8]. The decision was made several years ago, but it is now that we will see it work in practice for the first time. The logic is simple: give more countries a chance to compete for the main trophy. The idea is controversial, but the fact remains — we will see 12 groups instead of the usual eight in the group stage [citation:4][citation:8].

Two of the best teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage. In addition, eight of the twelve teams that finished third will also qualify for the next round [citation:4][citation:8]. The system is complicated, but it guarantees that the fight for survival will continue until the last minutes even for those who seemed to have lost everything. In the end, 32 teams will meet in the 1/16 finals. To reach the final, teams will now need to win eight matches instead of the previous seven [citation:4]. Players will face a serious test of endurance.

Three hosts: from north to south

For the first time, the World Cup is being hosted by three countries. Matches will be held in 16 cities: 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada [citation:1][citation:5][citation:9]. Such a spread of geographical and climatic zones creates unique conditions. Some will play at sea level, while others will face the high altitude of Mexico City. Players will have to adapt on the go.

The tournament will start on June 11, 2026 [citation:3]. The tournament will open with two matches: in Mexico City at the legendary "Azteca," the Mexicans will face South Africa, and in Toronto at the BMO Field, the Canadians will host the Swiss team [citation:1][citation:5]. "Azteca" is a special place in football history. It is here that Pele won his third World Cup, where Maradona scored the "goal of the century" and the "hand of God" [citation:5]. The stadium in Toronto will be expanded to 45,000 seats for the tournament [citation:1].

American stadiums: a battle of giants

The main burden of the tournament falls on American stadiums. 78 of the 104 matches will be held in the United States [citation:9]. The main final will take place on July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in New York [citation:1][citation:5]. The stadium in East Rutherford can accommodate more than 82,000 spectators — the largest stadium in the National Football League [citation:5]. It has hosted the Super Bowl, the Club World Cup final, and now will become the place where the main trophy of the planet will be raised.

The semi-finals will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and the AT&T Stadium in Dallas [citation:1][citation:9]. The stadium in Atlanta is notable for its retractable roof-diaphragm, which opens in 12 minutes [citation:5]. In Dallas, there is a giant video cube, and the capacity can reach 100,000 people [citation:5].

The United States team will play its opening match on June 12 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles [citation:1]. This modern stadium, opened in 2020, cost 5-6 billion dollars [citation:5]. The quarter-finals will be held in Boston, Kansas City, Miami, and Los Angeles [citation:1][citation:9]. The match for third place will be held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami [citation:1].

Group stage: star battles

The draw has already distributed teams into groups, and several quartets look like "death groups."

Group C brings together the five-time world champions Brazil, the runners-up of the last World Cup Morocco, the sturdy Scots, and debutants from Haiti [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10]. Brazil is the favorite, but upsets are possible.

Group I: the current world champions — the French national team — will face the African lions from Senegal, the Scandinavian Vikings from Norway, and the Iraqis, who are returning to the World Cup after a 40-year hiatus [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10].

Group J: the current South American champions Argentina will face the Algerians, Austrians, and debutants from Jordan [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10].

Group K: Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo will play against Colombians, debutants from Uzbekistan, and the team from DR Congo [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10].

Group L: the Teutons from the shores of the Foggy Albion will clash with the "chess" Croats, the black stars from Ghana, and Panamanians [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10].

The Russian national team did not qualify for the tournament due to the ongoing suspension of FIFA and UEFA [citation:6].

New names and historical returns

The expansion of the tournament has brought those who we have not seen before to the world stage. Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Curaçao will play at the World Cup for the first time in history [citation:6][citation:10]. Imagine the tiny Curaçao, an island country with a population of about 160,000, which beats the giants on equal terms. Uzbekistan, which has been close to the cherished goal for many years, has finally achieved it.

After decades, Iraq (last time at the World Cup in 1986) and DR Congo (last time in 1974) have returned [citation:10]. The DR Congo team has a Russian connection: striker Theo Bonnemain plays for CSKA Moscow [citation:10]. The Bosnian and Herzegovinian team will have 40-year-old captain Edin Dzeko on the field, who will become one of the oldest field players in the history of World Cups [citation:10].

Prizes: record motivation

FIFA has set a record prize fund for participants. The total amount will be 871 million dollars [citation:3][citation:7]. For comparison: at the last World Cup in Qatar, teams shared 440 million. The growth is colossal — almost double.

Each of the 48 participating teams is guaranteed at least 12.5 million dollars [citation:3][citation:7]. In addition, additional payments for preparation — 2.5 million for each team. The champion will receive significantly more, but FIFA has not yet disclosed the exact distribution figures. It is known that organizers were concerned about the unprofitability of the tournament for some federations — too high taxes in the United States and logistics costs [citation:3]. Therefore, they decided to increase the starting payments. Now even a team that loses all three matches will not go into the red.

What awaits fans and organizers

For fans, this World Cup will be a journey across half of the continent. Matches are held from Vancouver in western Canada to Miami in the southeastern United States. The distances are enormous. The car journey from Seattle to Los Angeles takes 20 hours. However, organizers promise convenient transportation logistics and many special flights.

The main question is safety. All three hosting countries have a high level of organization of mass events. The United States and Canada regularly hold NFL and NHL matches with a huge crowd. Mexico has hosted the Olympic Games and two World Cups. Authorities declare full readiness.

Predictions and favorites

On paper, the main favorites are the national teams of France, Argentina, Brazil, England, and Spain. But the expanded format hides pitfalls. More matches mean a higher risk of injuries and fatigue. Teams with a high rotation of the lineup will find it easier.

Upsets are inevitable. Remember Morocco at the last World Cup, which reached the semi-finals. Now there may be even more such "dark horses." Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Iraq, or DR Congo can surprise. For them, every appearance on the field is already a historic event.

Conclusion

The 2026 World Cup is a global-scale experiment. For the first time, the tournament has been expanded, for the first time it is being held by three countries, and for the first time in history we will see 104 matches over 39 days. Will FIFA be able to maintain the quality of the game with such a large number of participants? We will see. One thing is clear: the summer of 2026 will become the main football festival for millions of fans around the world. North America is welcoming guests. The stadiums are ready. The jerseys are ironed. We are waiting for the first whistle.

Permanent link to this publication: