FIFA World Cup 2026

FIFA World Cup 2026 represents the 23rd edition of this quadrennial international men's soccer championship, contested by national teams representing FIFA's member associations. The tournament commenced on 11 June 2026 and is scheduled to conclude on 19 July 2026. This historic tournament features joint hosting across 16 cities, distributed among 11 locations in the United States, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada. The competition marks two significant firsts: it is the inaugural FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by three nations, and it introduces an expanded format featuring 48 participating teams, representing an increase from the previous 32-team structure.

The United 2026 bid triumphed over Morocco's competing candidacy during the decisive vote at the 68th FIFA Congress held in Moscow. This multi-national hosting arrangement marks the first World Cup since 2002 to involve more than one country. Mexico, having previously hosted the tournaments in 1970 and 1986, achieves the distinction of becoming the first nation to serve as host or co-host for three separate World Cup events. The United States brings its hosting experience from the 1994 tournament, while Canada participates in its inaugural World Cup hosting experience. The tournament has reverted to its traditional Northern Hemisphere summer scheduling, following the unconventional November-December timeframe utilised for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

As host nations, Canada, Mexico, and the United States have earned automatic qualification for the tournament. The competition introduces four nations to World Cup participation for the first time: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. Argentina enters as the defending champion, having secured their third World Cup title in the 2022 tournament.

Format

Expansion

The concept of tournament expansion had been initially proposed as early as 2013 by then UEFA president Michel Platini, and subsequently revived in 2016 by current FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The proposal encountered significant opposition from various quarters, who contended that the existing match schedule had already reached unsustainable levels, that expansion would compromise competitive quality, and that the decision reflected political considerations rather than sporting merit. Critics specifically accused Infantino of leveraging the promise of increased global participation to secure his presidential election victory.

Beginning with this edition, the FIFA World Cup has expanded to accommodate 48 participating nations, representing an increase of 16 teams compared to the previous seven tournaments. As formally approved by the FIFA Council on 14 March 2023, the competition structure features 12 groups comprising 4 teams each, with the top two finishers from every group and the eight highest-ranking third-place finishers advancing to a newly established round of 32.

This represents the first substantial expansion and format modification since the 1998 tournament. The overall match count has increased from 64 to 104, while teams advancing to the semifinal stage will now participate in 8 matches rather than the previous 7. The tournament's duration extends to 39 days, an increase from the 32-day format utilised in both the 2014 and 2018 tournaments. Each participating team continues to compete in three group stage matches. The final club-level fixture day for players included in final squads is scheduled for 24 May 2026; clubs must release their players by 25 May, with exceptions permitted for those competing in continental club competition finals until 30 May. The combined period encompassing rest, release, and tournament phases remains consistent at 56 days, matching the duration of the 2010, 2014, and 2018 tournaments.

Other expansion formats proposed

The expansion to 48 teams had already received approval on 10 January 2017, when it was initially determined that the tournament would feature 16 groups comprising 3 teams each, with 80 matches in total, and the top two teams from every group progressing to a round of 32. Under this format that was subsequently superseded, the maximum number of matches per team would have remained at seven, though each team would have participated in one fewer group match than previously. The tournament would still have been completed within 32 days. This format was selected over three alternative proposals, which ranged from 40 to 48 teams, 76 to 88 matches, and one to four minimum matches per team.

Critics of this format contended that the implementation of three-team groups with two teams advancing substantially heightened the risk of collusion among teams. This situation prompted FIFA to propose that penalty shootouts could be employed to prevent draws in the group stage, although even with this measure, some risk of collusion would persist, and there emerged the possibility of teams deliberately losing shootouts to eliminate rivals. To address these concerns, FIFA continued evaluating alternative formats—a process that concluded with the 2023 announcement that the format would be restructured to 12 groups of 4 teams.

New Rules

The FIFA World Cup 2026 introduces several significant rule modifications designed primarily to minimise time-wasting, implemented in accordance with IFAB regulations. The new tournament regulations include:

10-second substitutions: Players being substituted are required to exit the pitch within 10 seconds; otherwise, the substitute must await one minute before entering the match.
5-second restarts: Referees may display a visual 5-second countdown for throw-ins and goal kicks when time-wasting is suspected. If the ball is not placed into play within the allotted time, possession is awarded to the opposing team.
Medical treatment: Any outfield player receiving medical attention on the pitch must vacate the field and wait for one minute before returning to play.
Expanded video assistant referee (VAR): VAR now possesses expanded authority to review and overturn clear errors regarding second yellow cards, incorrectly awarded corner kicks, mistaken identity situations, and certain attacking fouls.
Mouth-covering red cards: To prevent confrontational or insulting behavior concealed from lip-reading, any player who covers their mouth with hand, arm, or shirt while confronting an opponent is subject to immediate red card dismissal.
Player leaving the pitch in protest: Players or officials who exit the field in protest are to be shown a red card.

The tiebreaker procedures for tied teams finishing the group stage with equal points have been modified. The primary tiebreaker is now the number of points earned in head-to-head matches between the tied teams, rather than goal difference.

Breaks

Cooling and hydration breaks, initially introduced at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, have been expanded for the FIFA World Cup 2026. FIFA has implemented mandatory 3-minute hydration breaks during every half for all matches. These pauses in play permit broadcasters to run commercial advertisements during the designated intervals.^[1]

Knockout stage

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The knockout stage will be played in a single-elimination format, starting with the newly-introduced round of 32 on June 28 and culminating with the final on July 19. On the day prior, a match for third place will also be played. In the knockout stage, if the scores are level when normal playing time expires, 30 minutes of extra time will be played. If still tied at the end of extra time, a penalty shootout will be used to determine the winner.^[2]

Qualified teams

Bracket

Round of 32

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Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Match for third place

Final

Template:Main {{#lst:2026 FIFA World Cup final|Final}}

Statistics

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Goalscorers

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Discipline

A player or team official is automatically suspended for the next match of the tournament for the following offenses:^[2]

Receiving a red card (red card suspensions may be extended for serious offenses).
Receiving two yellow cards in the tournament;Template:Efn-ua yellow cards expire after the completion of the group stage and again after the quarterfinals.^[3]

During qualification, Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for violent conduct in Portugal's penultimate match against the Republic of Ireland, with such an offense typically resulting in a ban of at least two matches. Ronaldo was handed a three-match ban, though the final two matches of the ban were suspended for a one-year probationary period, making him eligible to appear in Portugal's opening World Cup match.^[4] On May 8, 2026, the Bureau of the FIFA Council amended the tournament regulations so that pending one- or two-match suspensions resulting from red cards for two yellow cards, denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, or serious foul play during qualification would no longer be carried forward to the final competition.^[5] This exempted Argentina's Nicolás Otamendi, Ecuador's Moisés Caicedo, and Qatar's Tarek Salman from serving their qualifying-round suspensions during the tournament, with the bans to instead be served in a subsequent competition.^[6]

The following suspensions occurred during the tournament:

Tournament suspensions for players and team officials
Player	Offense(s)	Suspension(s)
Script error: No such module "flag". Sphephelo Sithole	Template:Sent off in Group A vs Mexico (matchday 1; June 11)	Group A vs Czech Republic (matchday 2; June 18)
Script error: No such module "flag". Themba Zwane^[7]	Template:Sent off in Group A vs Mexico (matchday 1; June 11)	Group A vs Czech Republic (matchday 2; June 18) Group A vs South Korea (matchday 3; June 24) Round of 32 vs Canada (June 28)
Script error: No such module "flag". César Montes	Template:Sent off in Group A vs South Africa (matchday 1; June 11)	Group A vs South Korea (matchday 2; June 18)
Script error: No such module "flag". Teboho Mokoena	Template:Yel in Group A vs Mexico (matchday 1; June 11) Template:Yel in Group A vs Czech Republic (matchday 2; June 18)	Group A vs South Korea (matchday 3; June 24)
Script error: No such module "flag". Tarik Muharemović	Template:Sent off in Group B vs Switzerland (matchday 2; June 18)	Group B vs Qatar (matchday 3; June 24)
Script error: No such module "flag". Homam Ahmed	Template:Sent off in Group B vs Canada (matchday 2; June 18)	Group B vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (matchday 3; June 24)
Script error: No such module "flag". Assim Madibo	Template:Sent off in Group B vs Canada (matchday 2; June 18)	Group B vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (matchday 3; June 24)Template:Efn-ua
Script error: No such module "flag". Miguel Almirón	Template:Sent off in Group D vs Turkey (matchday 2; June 19)	Group D vs Australia (matchday 3; June 25)
Script error: No such module "flag". Nathan Ngoy	Template:Sent off in Group G vs Iran (matchday 2; June 21)	Group G vs New Zealand (matchday 3; June 26)
Script error: No such module "flag". Sidny Lopes Cabral	Template:Yel in Group H vs Spain (matchday 1; June 15) Template:Yel in Group H vs Uruguay (matchday 2; June 21)	Group H vs Saudi Arabia (matchday 3; June 26)

Awards

Prize money

In April 2026, FIFA officially announced the prize distribution for all participating nations in the expanded tournament, with a total allocation of 87.1 crore USD — almost double the prize pool from the previous edition. The prize structure consists of 67.1 crore USD in performance-based rewards, while 20 crore USD is distributed among teams irrespective of their tournament performance. Every qualified team received 25 lakh USD as preparation funds. Consequently, teams eliminated in the group stage will receive a minimum of 1.25 crore USD each, with the winning nation potentially earning up to 6.25 crore USD.

Performance-based prize money
Place	Teams	Amount (in crores USD)
Place	Teams	Per team	Total
Champions	1	5	5
Runners-up	1	3.3	3.3
Third place	1	2.9	2.9
Fourth place	1	2.7	2.7
5th–8th place (quarter-finals)	4	1.9	7.6
9th–16th place (round of 16)	8	1.5	12
17th–32nd place (round of 32)	16	1.1	17.6
33rd–48th place (group stage)	16	1	16
Total	48	67.1

Individual and team awards

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The following awards are to be presented at the end of the tournament.^[8]

Golden Boot: Awarded to the tournament's top goal scorer.
Golden Glove: Awarded to the tournament's best goalkeeper.
Golden Ball: Awarded to the best overall player of the tournament.
FIFA Young Player Award: Awarded to the best overall player of the tournament under the age of 21.
FIFA Fair Play Trophy: Awarded to the team with the best disciplinary record that reached the knockout stage.

Additionally, a "superior player of the match" is presented after each fixture to the player deemed to have delivered the most outstanding performance and greatest impact in that match. The recipient is selected through a public online vote conducted by FIFA. The award is sponsored by Michelob Ultra.^[9]

References

↑ Players to benefit from hydration breaks at FIFA World Cup 2026(December 7, 2025). Retrieved June 11, 2026.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named regulations
↑ FIFA Council increases record financial distribution to all 48 Participating Member Associations at the FIFA World Cup 2026. FIFA(April 28, 2026). Retrieved April 28, 2026.
↑ Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal captain avoids ban for start of nation's 2026 World Cup campaign. Sky Sports. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
↑ Bureau of the Council update on the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026. FIFA(May 8, 2026). Retrieved May 8, 2026.
↑ FIFA waives one-game bans for Otamendi and Caicedo at World Cup after being sent off in qualifier, Dunbar, Graham(May 8, 2026). Retrieved May 8, 2026.
↑ South Africa midfielder Zwane handed three-match World Cup ban, Gleeson, Mark(June 17, 2026). Retrieved June 18, 2026.
↑ What are the World Cup award names? | Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
↑ Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match - every winner. FIFA(June 11, 2026). Retrieved June 15, 2026.

External links

Template:FIFA World Cup 2026 Template:FIFA World Cup 2026 finalists Template:FIFA World Cup Template:Navboxes top Template:FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums Template:FIFA World Cup 2026 referees Template:World championships in 2026 Template:2026 in American soccer Template:2026 in Canadian soccer Template:Navboxes bottom Template:Authority control Template:Portal bar

[Breaks-1] Players to benefit from hydration breaks at FIFA World Cup 2026(December 7, 2025). Retrieved June 11, 2026.

[regulations-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named regulations

[FIFA_Council_April_28-3] FIFA Council increases record financial distribution to all 48 Participating Member Associations at the FIFA World Cup 2026. FIFA(April 28, 2026). Retrieved April 28, 2026.

[4] Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal captain avoids ban for start of nation's 2026 World Cup campaign. Sky Sports. Retrieved November 25, 2025.

[5] Bureau of the Council update on the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026. FIFA(May 8, 2026). Retrieved May 8, 2026.

[6] FIFA waives one-game bans for Otamendi and Caicedo at World Cup after being sent off in qualifier, Dunbar, Graham(May 8, 2026). Retrieved May 8, 2026.

[7] South Africa midfielder Zwane handed three-match World Cup ban, Gleeson, Mark(June 17, 2026). Retrieved June 18, 2026.

[8] What are the World Cup award names? | Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2026-06-23.

[9] Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match - every winner. FIFA(June 11, 2026). Retrieved June 15, 2026.

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