2026 FIFA World Cup announced with three‑nation co‑hosting and 48‑team format
The tournament will be co‑hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, feature 48 teams, run from June 11 to July 19, and include 104 matches across 16 cities. The draw will set 12 groups of four, with a revised knockout structure that adds an extra round.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup was announced to be co‑hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico and to feature 48 national teams. The tournament was scheduled to run from June 11 through July 19, dailysabah reported, and to include 104 matches, Times of India reported. It was set to be played across 16 cities in the three host nations, bluesky reported.
The World Cup draw was set for Dec. 5 and was to separate the 48 teams into 12 groups of four, ESPN.com reported. Each team was to play three group‑stage games, one against every other team in its group. The top two teams in each group were to advance to the knockout stage, and the eight best third‑place teams were to also progress, creating a 32‑team knockout field, ESPN.com added.
The expansion from the previous 32‑team format to 48 teams was said to create an additional round of knockout matches, ESPN.com noted.
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