FIFA World Cup 26™: Here's What You Need to Know

2026 is almost upon us, and with it, the end to a long four-year wait.

In a special ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Friday, FIFA announced the groups for the 2026 World Cup, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

With a clearer look at the tournament field, here’s what to know about the format for the 2026 World Cup and how you can engage with your favorite teams next summer.

The format

For the most part, 2026 will run like any other World Cup: a group stage followed by a single-elimination knockout bracket running from June 11 to July 19 of next year. But unlike previous iterations, the tournament will include 48 teams separated into 12 groups of four (rather than 32 teams in eight groups), increasing the total participation of the event by 50% and doubling the size of the knockout stage from 16 to 32 teams. Forty-two teams are confirmed, with six yet to cement their place ahead of a series of playoffs next spring.

Because of the expanded format, 104 total matches will take place across 16 venues (two Canadian, three Mexican and 11 American) in 2026, compared to 64 matches at eight stadiums in Qatar in 2022. The top two teams in each group advance to the knockouts automatically, joined by the eight third-place teams with the highest remaining points totals. Additionally, the four highest-ranked teams in FIFA’s world rankings — Spain, Argentina, France and England — will be positioned in the bracket so they can’t play each other until at least the semifinals, should they advance that far.

The groups look as follows:

• Group A: Mexico, South Africa, Korea Republic, UEFA Playoff D winner
• Group B: Canada, UEFA Playoff A winner, Qatar Switzerland
• Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
• Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, UEFA Playoff C winner
• Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Côte D’Ivoire, Ecuador
• Group F: Netherlands, Japan, UEFA Playoff C winner, Tunisia
• Group G: Belgium, Egypt, IR Iran, New Zealand
• Group H: Spain, Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
• Group I: France, Senegal, FIFA Playoff 2 winner, Norway
• Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
• Group K: Portugal, FIFA Playoff 1 winner, Uzbekistan, Colombia
• Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

Hospitality info

Immerse yourself in the ultimate celebration of sports and culture through an extraordinary hospitality journey featuring premium seats, meet-and-greets, entertainment, food and beverage, and beyond.

Music City soccer

Although GEODIS Park won’t be hosting any World Cup matches, stay tuned for watch parties and other Nashville SC Soccer Celebrations coming next summer!