The 23rd FIFA World Cup is getting closer and closer, with organizers promising it to be the biggest global football show in history.
With just six months until kick-off, many of the tournament’s milestones have already been achieved. 42 of the 48 teams have qualified, the draw has been completed, over 2 million tickets have been sold, and 16 cities (11 in the US, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada) have now confirmed their participation and are making final preparations for their stadiums and surrounding infrastructure.
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Here, Al Jazeera Sports compiles everything you need to know ahead of the world’s biggest football tournament in 2026.
When and where will the 2026 FIFA World Cup be held?
The tournament will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and begins June 11th in Mexico City.
The tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams, making the 39-day event the longest in history.
Where will the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final be held?
The final will be hosted by the United States and will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
How will the 2026 FIFA World Cup match stages be divided between the host countries?
Games will be held in 11 locations in the United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey/New York (co-host region), Philadelphia, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Canada will host a total of 13 games in Toronto and Vancouver. Mexico will also play 13 matches in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
Which stadiums still need to be built?
All the stadiums for the World Cup are already in place, but two stadiums are being upgraded for the tournament.
Boston Stadium, which has a capacity of 63,815 and is home to the NFL’s New England Patriots and MLS’s New England Revolution, is undergoing a $225 million renovation.
Canada’s Toronto Stadium is also undergoing renovations, but at a much more modest level. The home of MLS’s Toronto FC and CFL’s Toronto Argonauts can seat 44,315 spectators, but has been expanded to more than 45,000 as part of the redevelopment.
Who is the defending FIFA World Cup champion?
Argentina won the last FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022, defeating France in the final.
After overtime, the score was 3-3, and Argentina won 4-2 in the penalty shootout.
Which team is the favorite to win the 2026 World Cup?
Euro 2024 winners Spain were ranked number one by FIFA ahead of the tournament. Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, are also considered favorites to win the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
France, led by star striker Kylian Mbappé, is also the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner and 2022 runner-up, making it one of the favorites to win the tournament.
Brazil, Portugal, England, Netherlands, Germany, Colombia, Croatia, Morocco and Mexico are in the second tier of potential candidates based on their rankings from 4th to 15th in the FIFA rankings.
Countries rich in talent such as Norway, Uruguay and Egypt also have a chance for their punchers to win it all if everything goes their way.
Will Messi and Ronaldo play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
yes. Messi will defend his title with Argentina, while Ronaldo will play for UEFA Nations League champions Portugal. It is widely expected to be the last World Cup the iconic pair, aged 38 and 40 respectively, will play.
When will all the teams for the 2026 FIFA World Cup be known?
Forty-two of the 48 teams have already qualified, with several options remaining for the final six teams.
FIFA’s intercontinental playoffs will be the absolute last chance for countries to qualify for next year’s tournament. The final day of that route will be March 31, 2026, less than three months until the World Cup starts.
The European qualification process will continue until March, but most of the remaining federations will have finished their continental qualification processes long before then.
What is the FIFA Intercontinental Playoff?
Once the respective federations have completed their qualification process, FIFA will offer two final spots for the top-ranked teams in each of the six continental routes that have not yet qualified.
What format will the 2026 FIFA World Cup take?
With the number of participating teams expanded to 48, there will be 12 groups of four teams participating in the World Cup. This will result in 32 rounds and more knockout rounds compared to previous editions.
In fact, the tournament doubled in size when it was held in the United States in 1994, when only 24 teams competed.
What were the 2026 World Cup groups drawn on December 5th?
The group will be mostly complete after the draw, but for the final six spots, we also know the potential teams that could fill those spots.
Group A: One of Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, Denmark, Macedonia, Czech Republic, Ireland Group B: One of Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, Bosnia Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti Group D: One of United States, Australia, Paraguay, Turkiye, Romania, Slovakia, Kosovo Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, Albania, and one of the following Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, and New Zealand Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq, Bolivia, and Suriname, and one of the following Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, and Jordan Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, and one of the following: DRC, Jamaica or New Caledonia Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana
Can Trump sway the game at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
President Trump has been very clear and consistent about holding games in the United States, saying he will move them from cities he deems unsafe.
On September 26, when asked about relocating the games, President Trump warned, “Well, it’s an interesting question…but we’re going to make sure it’s safe.[Seattle and San Francisco]are run by radical left-wing lunatics who don’t know what they’re doing.”
Will the weather affect the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches?
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup was held in the United States, but the heat and accompanying thunderstorms proved to be a major problem for the tournament.
Three stadiums in Arlington, Atlanta and Houston have retractable roofs and are expected to be closed due to the summer heat, while Inglewood and Vancouver have fixed roofs.
What are the ticket voting options for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
More than 2 million tickets have already been sold for the tournament, but the main ticket voting will only begin on Thursday.
It will be the first opportunity for fans to purchase tickets since the full game schedule was announced last week after the group stage draw.
The ballet will open on FIFA’s website at 16:00 GMT on Thursday and will run until January 13, 2026. FIFA will then hold a lottery to determine which applications will be successful.
What is the exact path to the remaining six spots in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Intercontinental Playoffs: Six teams will participate in the playoffs in Mexico in March, with two teams qualifying.
Seeded teams Iraq and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will qualify for the two playoff finals with byes, and will await the winners of the semi-finals.
Semi-final 1: New Caledonia vs Jamaica Final 1: DRC vs New Caledonia or Jamaica Semi-final 2: Bolivia vs Suriname Final 2: Iraq vs Bolivia or Suriname
Europe: 16 teams will take part in the UEFA play-off competition, which will also be held in March, and will need to win the semi-finals and final to be one of the four teams to qualify.
The lottery is as follows.
path A
Semi-final 1: Italy vs Northern Ireland Semi-final 2: Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina Final 1: Winner of Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina at home vs Italy or Northern Ireland
path B
Semi-final 3: Ukraine vs Sweden Semi-final 4: Poland vs Albania Final 2: Winner of Ukraine vs Sweden at home vs Poland or Albania
path C
Semi-final 5: Turkiye vs Romania Semi-final 6: Slovakia vs Kosovo Final 3: Winner of Slovakia vs Kosovo at home vs Turkiye vs Romania
path D
Semi-final 7: Denmark vs. North Macedonia Semi-final 8: Czech Republic vs. Republic of Ireland Final 4: Czech Republic vs. Republic of Ireland winner at home vs. Denmark or North Macedonia
Which country will come out on top in each group? 🧐@Aramco | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/aPr4FD2mDB
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 6, 2025
