2026 FIFA World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is an international football tournament scheduled to take place between 11 June and 19 July 2026, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Türkiye. As of March 2026, the qualification and intercontinental playoff stages have been completed and the participating nations have been confirmed. This tournament, for the first time in history, will feature 48 national teams and will also be the first World Cup ever organized by three countries together. A total of 104 matches have been scheduled for the tournament.

The decision to expand the number of participants in the World Cup from 32 to 48 was officially approved by FIFA in 2023. This expansion policy was developed in line with a strategy to extend football’s economic reach to Asia and Africa, as well as emerging global markets such as China and India. Although the group stage was initially planned to consist of 16 groups of three teams each, it was later changed to a system of 12 groups of four teams following a decision made at the FIFA Council meeting in Rwanda.

^{2026 FIFA World Cup (AA)}

Under the new format, the 48 participating teams have been divided into 12 groups of four. Each team is scheduled to play three matches within its group. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage, known as the Round of 32. In the event of a tie in group standings, the following criteria will be applied in order: points from matches between the tied teams, goal difference in matches between the tied teams, goals scored in matches between the tied teams, overall goal difference, overall goals scored, fair play points, and a draw of lots.

All knockout stage matches will be played as single-leg fixtures. As a result of the format change, the total number of matches a team must play to reach the final or third-place match has increased from seven to eight. Additionally, to preserve competitive integrity, a special draw system has been established to ensure that the highest-ranked teams, if they finish first in their group, will not face each other until the final.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) and FIFA have introduced a series of new rules effective for the 2026 World Cup to reduce stoppages and increase match tempo. The adopted rules are as follows:

• Time Limits: Throw-ins and goal kicks must be taken within five seconds. Failure to do so will result in the throw-in being awarded to the opposing team and a goal kick being converted to a corner kick for the opposing team.
• Player Substitution Time: Players leaving the field must exit within 10 seconds. If this time limit is exceeded, the incoming substitute must wait at least one minute before entering the match, and the team must play with one fewer player during that period.
• Injury Intervention: In cases requiring medical attention on the field, the injured player must be taken to the sideline and remain off the pitch for at least one minute before returning. This rule does not apply to fouls that result in a card being shown to an opponent.
• Communication with Referees: Only team captains are authorized to question or communicate with the referee. Any other player approaching the referee will be shown a yellow card.
• Expanded VAR Authority: The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system’s scope has been extended to include incorrect corner kick awards and incorrect second yellow card decisions leading to a player’s dismissal.
• Denial of an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO): The rule’s scope has been expanded to consider not only the player directly heading toward the goal but also potential passing options available to attackers based on their positioning.

Matchday 1

• Mexico 2-0 South Africa
• South Korea 2-1 Czechia

Matchday 2

• Czechia vs South Africa
• Mexico vs South Korea

Matchday 3

• Czechia vs Mexico
• South Africa vs South Korea

Matchday 1

• Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Qatar 1-1 Switzerland

Matchday 2

• Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Canada vs Qatar

Matchday 3

• Switzerland vs Canada
• Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar

Matchday 1

• Brazil 1-1 Morocco
• Haiti 0-1 Scotland

Matchday 2

• Scotland vs Morocco
• Brazil vs Haiti

Matchday 3

• Scotland vs Brazil
• Morocco vs Haiti

Matchday 1

• United States 4-1 Paraguay
• Australia 2-0 Türkiye

Matchday 2

• United States vs Australia
• Türkiye vs Paraguay

Matchday 3

• Türkiye vs United States
• Paraguay vs Australia

Matchday 1

• Germany 7-1 Curaçao
• Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador

Matchday 2

• Germany vs Ivory Coast
• Ecuador vs Curaçao

Matchday 3

• Ecuador vs Germany
• Curaçao vs Ivory Coast

Matchday 1

• Netherlands 2-2 Japan
• Sweden 5-1 Tunisia

Matchday 2

• Netherlands vs Sweden
• Tunisia vs Japan

Matchday 3

• Tunisia vs Netherlands
• Japan vs Sweden

Matchday 1

• Belgium 1-1 Egypt
• Iran 2-2 New Zealand

Matchday 2

• Belgium vs Iran
• New Zealand vs Egypt

Matchday 3

• Egypt vs Iran
• New Zealand vs Belgium

Matchday 1

• Spain 0-0 Cape Verde
• Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay

Matchday 2

• Spain vs Saudi Arabia
• Uruguay vs Cape Verde

Matchday 3

• Uruguay vs Spain
• Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia

Matchday 1

• France vs Senegal
• Iraq vs Norway

Matchday 2

• France vs Iraq
• Norway vs Senegal

Matchday 3

• Norway vs France
• Senegal vs Iraq