ฟีฟ่าเวิลด์คัพ ครั้งที่ 23

FIFA expanded the tournament from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 edition. The 48-team format means twelve groups of four, with the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed sides advancing to a new Round of 32. The expansion adds 40 matches to the tournament – 104 in total, up from 64.

The Round of 32 is a brand new stage added for 2026. The twelve group winners and twelve runners-up are joined by the eight best third-placed teams across all groups, ranked by points, goal difference, goals scored, and a fair-play tiebreaker. The thirty-two qualifiers play single-leg knockout matches between June 28 and July 3.

The successful "United" bid in 2018 was a joint US/Canada/Mexico submission. Each host nation plays its three group-stage matches in its own country. Knockout matches are distributed across all sixteen venues, with the latter rounds concentrated in the United States. The final is at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan are all making their World Cup debut. Curaçao becomes the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the World Cup, with Cape Verde the second-smallest. Iraq returned to the World Cup for the first time since 1986.

FIFA introduced a competitive-balance rule for the 2026 draw. The two highest-ranked teams (Spain and Argentina) were drawn into opposite halves of the bracket, as were the third- and fourth-ranked teams (France and England). If those four sides win their respective groups, they cannot meet until the semi-finals at the earliest, and the top two cannot meet before the final.

The complete 104-match schedule, including kick-off times in US Eastern, is on the schedule page. You can filter by stage, drill into any individual venue or team, or use the bracket page to see the knockout tree.