FIFA announced in 2017 that the FIFA World Cup 2026 would be the first tournament to feature an expanded format from the 32-team format used since the 1998 edition (France). The stadium will be expanded by 50% to a tournament consisting of 48 countries.
The football associations of the United States, Canada and Mexico have agreed to submit a joint bid to FIFA to host the competition. Bidding was won in 2018, with a FIFA congress majority voting to grant the rights to three countries.
The World Cup has been co-hosted once before, in 2002 by South Korea and Japan. This is the first time that three countries have hosted the World Cup.
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The “United 2026”, is what the North American nations call the bid and say their combined sports event infrastructure makes it the best equipped to handle an open tournament of 48 teams.
Previous World Cups, including Qatar 2022, Russia 2018 and Brazil 2014, have been marred by human rights abuses by workers tasked with hastily supplying brand-new stadiums. In the case of Brazil, some residents have been moved out of their homes to make way for new World Cup stadiums, according to the Washington Post.
This will see 16 more teams take part in the event, generating a surge in global interest as well as more matches throughout the tournament. However, FIFA has confirmed that the new format will not increase a team’s maximum number of matches, with a limit of seven matches per team reaching the final.
Changed Format of FIFA World Cup 2026:
In the new format of FIFA World Cup 2026, the group stage consists of 16 groups of three teams each. Then, the top two teams in each group will advance to the 32-team extended knockout round. Which is sure to create chaos and intrigue.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
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FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Cities:
FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Cities in USA, Mexico, and Canada:
Atlanta
Boston
Dallas
Guadalajara
Houston
Kansas City
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Miami
Monterrey
New York / New Jersey
Philadelphia
San Francisco Bay Area
Seattle
Toronto
Vancouver
Buy FIFA World Cup 2026 Ticket:
FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets will be typically sold through a series of lottery drawings and online sales. The exact process for obtaining tickets can vary depending on the host country and the specific match that you are interested in.
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FIFA World Cup 2026 Venue and capacity:
VENUE | CAPACITY |
Estadio Azteca (Mexico City) | 87,523 |
MetLife Stadium (NY City) | 82,500 |
AT&T Stadium (Dallas) | 80,000 |
Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas) | 76,416 |
NRG Stadium (Houston) | 71,795 |
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) | 71,000 |
SoFi Stadium (LA) | 70,240 |
Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) | 69,176 |
Lumen Field (Seattle) | 69,000 |
Levi’s Stadium (San Francisco) | 68,500 |
Gillette Stadium (Boston) | 65,878 |
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami) | 64,767 |
BC Place (Vancouver) | 54,000 |
Estadio BBVA (Monterrey) | 53,500 |
Estadio Akron (Guadalajara) | 46,232 |
BMO Field (Toronto) | 45,500* |
WHERE WILL FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 BE HOSTED?
The 2026 edition of the World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking the first time the tournament will be shared by three different countries.
The United States will host matches in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, and New York/New Jersey.
Mexico will host matches in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. Canada will host the games in Vancouver and Toronto.
WHEN WILL THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 BE SCHEDULED?
FIFA has yet to announce an exact date for the tournament.
The World Cup will return to its usual time in June and July 2026. After the organizers chose to start the 2022 edition in November-December due to summer conditions in Qatar. Where temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
HOW MANY TEAMS WILL PARTICIPATE IN FIFA WORLD CUP 2026?
This will be the first time that 48 teams have participated in the tournament. Up from 32 participating in this year’s event in Qatar.
HAD MEXICO EVER ORGANIZED THE WORLD CUP?
Mexico has hosted the World Cup twice before, in 1970 and 1986, and will become the first country to host the tournament three times.
The United States hosted the tournament once in 1994.
Canada has never hosted a men’s World Cup but did host a women’s version in 2015.
WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES WILL BE ORGANIZING FIFA WORLD CUP 2026?
The three-country bid was chosen following a vote by the 2018 FIFA congress after garnering 134 votes to Morocco’s 65. Morocco’s failed bid was their fifth failed attempt to win the right to host the World Cup.
FAQs:
The 2026 edition of the World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking the first time the tournament will be shared by three different countries.
The World Cup will return to its usual time in June and July 2026. After the organizers chose to start the 2022 edition in November-December due to summer conditions in Qatar. Where temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius
This will be the first time that 48 teams have participated in the tournament. Up from 32 participating in this year’s event in Qatar.
Mexico has hosted the World Cup twice before, in 1970 and 1986, and will become the first country to host the tournament three times.
The three-country bid was chosen following a vote by the 2018 FIFA congress after garnering 134 votes to Morocco’s 65. Morocco’s failed bid was their fifth failed attempt to win the right to host the World Cup.