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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Alexander Abnos, Ella Brockway, Pablo Iglesias Maurer and Jeff Rueter

Messi, mascots, tickets and Trump: 48 questions for the 48-team World Cup

An image of the 2026 World Cup logo is displayed against the Manhattan skyline by drones in 2025.
The New York area will host the World Cup final on 19 July. Photograph: Michael Regan/FIFA/Getty Images

After Tuesday’s playoff matches decided the final six spots, the World Cup field is set. Forty-eight teams will come to North America this summer for the 23rd edition of the biggest sporting event on the planet.

The tournament kicks off 11 June in Mexico City and runs until the final on 19 July in New Jersey, comprising 104 matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada. To mark the completion of the field of 48, Guardian writers answered 48 questions on topics from World Cup history and the US men’s national team to Messi, Ronaldo and mascots.

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