2026 FIFA World Cup —
Complete Guide
Everything you need to know about the 2026 FIFA World Cup: format, host nations, venues, key dates, group stage structure, and outright favourites.
The New 48-Team Format
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first tournament to use an expanded 48-team format, a significant increase from the 32-nation structure that had been in place since France 1998. FIFA approved the expansion in 2017, with the primary aim of increasing global participation and bringing more confederations into the tournament at a meaningful level.
The 48 teams are divided into 12 groups of four. Each team plays three group-stage matches. The top two nations from each group advance automatically to the knockout rounds. Additionally, the eight best third-placed teams across all 12 groups also qualify, creating a round of 32 — a stage that did not exist at previous World Cups.
The total number of matches increases from 64 (at 32-team World Cups) to 104 matches. The knockout bracket then proceeds through rounds of 32, 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place play-off, and the final.
The new format means UEFA receives 16 places (up from 13), CONMEBOL gets 6 (up from 4.5), CAF 9 (up from 5), AFC 8 (up from 4.5), CONCACAF 6 (up from 3.5), and OFC 1 (up from 0.5). The host nations — USA, Mexico and Canada — receive automatic berths.
Host Nations & Venues
Three nations share hosting duties across 16 venues — the largest hosting arrangement in World Cup history.
United States
11 venues
New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco Bay Area, Miami, Seattle, Boston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia
Hosts the final at MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey
Mexico
3 venues
Mexico City (Estadio Azteca), Guadalajara, Monterrey
Azteca becomes the first stadium to host matches at three World Cups
Canada
2 venues
Toronto, Vancouver
Canada's first time hosting the FIFA World Cup
Key Dates
Group Stage Overview
All 48 confirmed nations have been allocated to Groups A through L. The draw took into account FIFA world ranking seedings and confederation representation to ensure balanced groups. Several groups contain high-profile match-ups between traditional powerhouses. Browse all 12 groups to see team form, head-to-head records, and win rate comparisons.
View all 12 groups →Outright Favourites
Spain lead the outright betting market at 5.50 decimal odds, reflecting their status as reigning European champions and the world's top-ranked nation. England (7.60), France (9.00), Brazil (9.50) and Argentina (9.50) complete the top five. See our full statistical analysis of every contender.
StatRank™ Power Rankings
Our proprietary StatRank™ model analyses 47+ data points per team — including qualifying campaign performance, goal quality metrics, historical tournament pedigree, and market efficiency signals — to generate independent power ratings for all 48 confirmed nations. Use the predictions page to see which teams our model rates above or below their current betting odds.
View StatRank™ power rankings →