The summer of 2026 will enter the history of football. From June 11 to July 19, three countries — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — will host the most extensive World Cup in the tournament's history [citation:3][citation:7]. For the first time, 48 national teams will compete in the World Cup, matches will be held across three countries, and the total number of matches will reach 104 [citation:1][citation:8]. North America is on hold in anticipation. The world is preparing for a football marathon that will last almost a month and a half, bringing us a new champion.

48 teams: a new era of world football

The main sensation of this World Cup is its scale. FIFA has expanded the tournament from 32 to 48 national teams [citation:4][citation:8]. The decision was made several years ago, but it is now that we will see it implemented in practice for the first time. The logic is simple: give more countries a chance to compete for the top trophy. The idea is controversial, but the fact remains — we will see 12 groups instead of the usual eight in the group stage [citation:4][citation:8].

Two of the best teams from each group advance to the knockout stage. In addition, eight of the twelve teams that finished third will also qualify for the next round [citation:4][citation:8]. The system is complicated, but it guarantees that the fight for survival will continue until the last minutes even for those who seemed to have lost everything. In the end, 32 teams will meet in the 1/16 finals. To reach the final, players will need to win eight matches instead of the previous seven [citation:4]. They will face a serious test of endurance.

Three hosts: from the north to the south

For the first time, the World Cup is being hosted by three countries simultaneously. Matches will be held in 16 cities: 11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada [citation:1][citation:5][citation:9]. Such a geographical and climatic spread creates unique conditions. Some will play at sea level, while others will face the high altitude of Mexico City. Players will have to adapt on the go.

The tournament will start on June 11, 2026 [citation:3]. The opening matches will feature Mexico against South Africa at the legendary "Azteca" in Mexico City, and Canada against Switzerland at the BMO Field in Toronto [citation:1][citation:5]. The "Azteca" is a special place in football history. It is here that Pele won his third World Cup, where Maradona scored the "goal of the century" and the "hand of God" [citation:5]. The stadium in Toronto will be expanded to accommodate 45,000 spectators for the tournament [citation:1].

US stadiums: a battle of giants

The main burden of the tournament falls on American stadiums. 78 of the 104 matches will be held in the United States [citation:9]. The final will take place on July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in New York [citation:1][citation:5]. The stadium in East Rutherford can accommodate over 82,000 spectators — the largest stadium in the National Football League [citation:5]. It has hosted the Super Bowl, the final of the Club World Cup, and now will become the place where the main trophy of the planet will be raised.

The semi-finals will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and the AT&T Stadium in Dallas [citation:1][citation:9]. The stadium in Atlanta is notable for its retractable roof-diaphragm, which opens in 12 minutes [citation:5]. In Dallas, a giant video cube is installed, and the capacity can reach 100,000 people [citation:5].

The United States team will play its opening match on June 12 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles [citation:1]. This state-of-the-art stadium, opened in 2020, cost 5-6 billion dollars [citation:5]. The quarter-finals will be held in Boston, Kansas City, Miami, and Los Angeles [citation:1][citation:9]. The third-place match will be held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami [citation:1].

Group stage: star battles

The draw has already distributed teams into groups, and several quartets look like groups of death.

Group C brings together the five-time world champions Brazil, the runners-up of the last World Cup Morocco, the sturdy Scots, and debutants from Haiti [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10]. Brazil is the favorite, but upsets are possible.

Group I: the defending world champions — the French national team — will face the African lions from Senegal, the Scandinavian Vikings from Norway, and the Iraqis, who are returning to the World Cup after a 40-year hiatus [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10].

Group J: the defending South American champions Argentina will face the Algerians, Austrians, and debutants from Jordan [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10].

Group K: Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo will play against Colombians, debutants from Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo team [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10].

Group L: the Teutons from the shores of the Foggy Albion will clash with the "chess" Croats, the black stars from Ghana, and the Panamanians [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10].

The Russian national team did not qualify for the tournament due to the ongoing suspension of FIFA and UEFA [citation:6].

New names and historical returns

The expansion of the tournament has brought to the world stage those who we have not seen before. Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cabo Verde, and Curaçao will play in the World Cup for the first time in history [citation:6][citation:10]. Imagine the tiny Curaçao, an island country with a population of about 160,000, which beats the giants on equal terms. Uzbekistan, which has been close to the cherished goal for many years, has finally achieved it.

After decades, Iraq (last time at the World Cup in 1986) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (last time in 1974) have returned [citation:10]. The Democratic Republic of Congo has a Russian connection: striker Theo Bonnitta plays for CSKA Moscow [citation:10]. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 40-year-old captain Edin Dzeko will take to the field, who will become one of the oldest field players in the history of World Cups [citation:10].

Prizes: record motivation

FIFA has set a record prize fund for participants. The total amount will be 871 million dollars [citation:3][citation:7]. For comparison: at the last World Cup in Qatar, teams shared 440 million. The growth is colossal — almost double.

Each of the 48 participating teams is guaranteed to receive at least 12.5 million dollars [citation:3][citation:7]. In addition, additional payments for preparation — 2.5 million for each team. The champion will receive significantly more, but FIFA has not yet disclosed the exact distribution figures. It is known that organizers were concerned about the unprofitability of the tournament for some federations — too high taxes in the United States and logistics costs [citation:3]. Therefore, they decided to increase the starting payments. Now even a team that loses all three matches will not go into the red.

What awaits fans and organizers

For fans, this World Cup will be a journey across half of the continent. Matches are held from Vancouver in western Canada to Miami in the southeastern United States. The distances are enormous. The car journey from Seattle to Los Angeles takes 20 hours. But organizers promise convenient transportation logistics and many special flights.

The main question is safety. All three hosting countries have a high level of organization for mass events. The United States and Canada regularly hold NFL and NHL matches with a huge crowd. Mexico hosted the Olympic Games and two World Cups. Authorities declare full readiness.

Predictions and favorites

On paper, the main favorites look like the teams of France, Argentina, Brazil, England, and Spain. But the expanded format hides traps. More matches mean a higher risk of injuries and fatigue. Teams with a high rotation of the lineup will find it easier.

Upsets are inevitable. Remember Morocco at the last World Cup, which reached the semi-finals. Now there may be even more "dark horses." Uzbekistan, Cabo Verde, Iraq, or the Democratic Republic of Congo are capable of surprises. For them, every appearance on the field is already a historic event.

Conclusion

The 2026 World Cup will be a global-scale experiment. For the first time, the tournament has been expanded, for the first time it is being held by three countries, and for the first time in history we will see 104 matches in 39 days. Will FIFA be able to maintain the quality of the game with such a large number of participants? We will see. One thing is clear: the summer of 2026 will be the main football festival for millions of fans around the world. North America is welcoming guests. The stadiums are ready. The jerseys are ironed. We are waiting for the first whistle.

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