The 2026 World Cup will mark a turning point in the history of football. Jointly hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, this competition, which kicks off on June 11, will bring together 48 teams for the first time and introduce a new competition format.

An edition with more matches, suspense and opportunities for the participating nations.

The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be a record-breaking edition. For the first time in its history, the competition will bring together 48 national teams and will be jointly hosted by three countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

Scheduled from June 11 to July 19, this 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup will mark a major turning point in the history of world football. The opening match will be played at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, while the final will take place at MetLife Stadium in New York, New Jersey, at the end of more than a month of competition.

The main innovation lies in the expansion of the number of participants. After several decades with 32 teams, FIFA has decided to increase the number of nations to 48 in order to offer more opportunities to the different confederations and to strengthen the representation of world football.

To support this expansion, a new format has been adopted. The first round will consist of 12 groups of four teams. At the end of this phase, the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 32.

This format will significantly increase the number of matches played and offer much more suspense. The future world champion will now have to play eight matches to have a chance of lifting the trophy, compared to seven in the old format.

Canada, the United States, and Mexico will join forces to host the world's largest sporting event. A total of 16 host cities have been selected (two in Canada, three in Mexico, and eleven in the United States).

This unprecedented geographical distribution will allow millions of fans to experience the event up close while highlighting the cultural and sporting diversity of North America.

With 48 teams, more matches, and hosting across three countries, the 2026 World Cup promises to be the biggest World Cup ever. This edition could also offer new opportunities for African national teams, many of whom dream of taking their game to the next level on the world stage.