The next World Cup is a little over three and a half years away, with the next tournament in North America taking place in the summer in a return to tradition.
It is expected to be the first tournament taking place with 48 teams, with FIFA promising a new format for the 2026 edition. It will also take place across three countries for the first time ever, with the USA, Canada and Mexico hosting.
It is not the first time that the World Cup has taken place in North America, with Mexico hosting the event in both 1970 and 1986 before the USA hosted the 1994 edition. It will, however, be the first time for Canada, who will follow up their first qualification since 1986 by hosting.
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The expanded tournament stands in start contrast to the 2022 edition, with all matches in Qatar taking place within a one hour drive of each other. Meanwhile, the distance between Vancouver and Miami is a staggering 2,800 miles meaning that it will be the biggest area that a tournament has been hosted within.
In addition to this, the 48 team tournament sees the current format expanded by 16 teams, with the BBC reporting that FIFA will earn $11bn in sponsorship and revenue in the build-up to the event. This additional revenue comes from the expansion, with extra sponsors, merchandising and ticket sales.
Here is your guide to the World Cup 2026:
What is the format?
The 2026 World Cup is expected to have a unique format, with 48 teams split into 16 groups of three, with two teams progressing from each group into a round-of-32.
This will be followed by a more traditional round-of-16 to quarter-final to semi-final to final format.
However, following the drama which unfolded at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, there has been some criticism over the decision to scrap four team groups and it remains to be seen what steps FIFA will take to mitigate these concerns.
What are the host cities?
There are several iconic venues for the tournament, with the USA having the bulk of the stadiums by virtue of its world class facilities and infrastructure from the NFL.
However, Mexico boasts the Azteca Stadium which hosted the 1970 and 1986 finals, with the impressive Estadio BBVA in Monterrey also catching the eye. Canada, meanwhile, will expand Toronto's BMO Field to host matches alongside BC Place in Vancouver.
Here is the list of host cities:
United States
- New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium)
- Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium)
- Dallas (AT&T Stadium)
- San Francisco Bay Area (Levi's Stadium)
- Miami (Hard Rock Stadium)
- Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
- Seattle (Lumen Field)
- Houston (NRG Stadium)
- Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field)
- Kansas City, Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium)
- Boston/Foxborough (Gillette Stadium)
Canada
- Toronto (BMO Field)
- Vancouver (BC Place Stadium)
Mexico
- Guadalajara (Estadio Akron)
- Mexico City (Azteca Stadium)
- Monterrey (BBVA Bancomer Stadium)
Due to the vast distances travelled, these venues will be clustered into three groups, with a Western, Eastern and Central region for matches to be played within.
These are as follows:
Western region:
- Vancouver
- Seattle
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Los Angeles
- Guadalajara
Central Region:
- Kansas City
- Dallas
- Atlanta
- Houston
- Monterrey
- Mexico City
Eastern Region:
- Toronto
- Boston
- Philadelphia
- Miami
- New York/New Jersey
Where will the final be played?
The final is expected to take place in the USA, with New Jersey's MetLife Stadium the current favourite, with the 82,500 home of the New York Giants & Jets boasting world class facilities.
The Azteca in Mexico City will have been a contender, but having already hosted two finals it may play host to the tournament's opening fixture.
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