The FIFA World Cup has evolved throughout the years since its inception in 1930. And this year's event in North America is no different, with everything from the number of participants to the format undergoing evolution.
Why is the 2026 FIFA World Cup unique?
Unlike previous tournaments, the 2026 event is the first to be hosted by three nations and the first to feature 48 teams. This expansion ends the 32-team era that defined the tournament from France 1998 through Qatar 2022.
How many teams are in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup features 48 teams, a 50% increase from previous years. These participants have been divided into 12 groups of four.
However, the tournament follows the traditional single round-robin format, with each nation facing every other side in its group once for a total of three games per country. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, advance to the knockout stages.
New FIFA World Cup slot allocation: Which continents gained the most?
With more participants comes a wider global representation per confederation/continent. CAF (Africa) and AFC (Asia) saw the largest relative increases in direct qualification slots, though UEFA (Europe) remains the most overrepresented at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with 16 direct spots.
Here is how the 46 direct qualification slots are distributed:
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UEFA (Europe): Increased from 13 to 16 direct slots
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CAF (Africa): Increased from 5 to 9 direct slots
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AFC (Asia): Increased from 4/5 to 8 direct slots
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CONMEBOL (South America): Increased from 4/5 to 6 direct slots
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CONCACAF (North/Central America): 6 direct slots (including hosts USA, Canada, and Mexico)
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OFC (Oceania): 1 direct slot (guaranteed for the first time)
The remaining two spots are decided via a six-team inter-confederation play-off tournament held in March 2026.
How many more matches will be played at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico?
The most significant change is the total match count. The 2026 FIFA World Cup features 104 matches (40 extra matches), a massive 62.5% increase over the 64-match format used from 1998 to 2022. This represents a minimum of an additional 3,600 minutes of World Cup live broadcasting and streaming, totaling at least 9,360 minutes of international soccer being broadcast worldwide to over 200 countries and territories.
How many more matches per round will be played at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
With 48 teams participating instead of 32, the number of groups has also increased, going from eight groups of four teams to 12 groups of four. As a result, the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will have 72 games, an increase of 24 matches (the 1998 to 2022 World Cups had 48 matches in the group stage.
Likewise, the knockout stage will also see an increase of 16 matches due to the introduction of the new "round of 32". This means the tournament goes from 16 knockout stage matches in recent tournaments to 32 fixtures in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, available on TV and/or live streaming across the globe, including the USA (Fox Sports and Telemundo), the UK (ITV and BBC), and Canada (CTV, TSN, and RDS). Here is a breakdown per round:
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Group stage: 72 matches (up from 48)
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Knockout stage: 32 matches (up from 16)
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FIFA World Cup in total: 104 matches (up from 64)
What is the new "round of 32"?
The expansion introduces a brand-new knockout round: the round of 32. Previously, teams went straight from the group stage to the round of 16. Now, an extra layer of 16 matches has been added, with the top two teams from each of the 12 groups and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to this phase.
How does the format affect the path to the final?
Winning the World Cup is now a greater physical challenge. To lift the trophy at MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026, the champion must play eight matches (3 group games + 5 knockout games). This is one more than the seven-match requirement of the previous 32-team era.
Is the 2026 FIFA World Cup the longest in history?
Yes. Lasting 39 days (June 11 – July 19), it is significantly longer than the 29-day tournament in Qatar.
However, the 2030 FIFA World Cup (to be held in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain) is expected to be even longer to accommodate "centenary" matches in South America.