2026 FIFA World Cup guide: Everything you need to know including tournament structure, host cities

The 23rd edition of football’s most prestigious tournament kicks off one year from now and excitement is building ahead of the newly-expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Argentina are the current holders after they won a third world title at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, but they are set to face stern competition from a host of nations from across the globe to retain their crown.

Here, Sports Mole provides the lowdown on when and where the 2026 World Cup will take place, how the tournament is structured and which teams have qualified.

When and where is the 2026 World Cup taking place?

The latest instalment of the FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

As many as three nations will be hosting the tournament for the first time, while the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan was the last time that the tournament was hosted by more than one nation.

The World Cup returns to USA and Mexico for the first time since 1994 and 1986 respectively, while Canada will be hosting the tournament for the very first time.

The 2026 edition will begin in Mexico with the opening group-stage fixture to be played on June 11, while the final will be held at the New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19.

2026 World Cup host cities and stadiums

United States:

AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium) | 80,000 | Arlington, Texas

Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Stadium) | 71,000 | Atlanta, Georgia

MetLife Stadium (New York New Jersey Stadium) | 82,500 | East Rutherford, New Jersey

Gillette Stadium (Boston Stadium) | 65,878 | Foxborough, Massachusetts

NRG Stadium (Houston Stadium) | 72,220 | Houston, Texas

SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles Stadium) | 70,240 | Inglewood, California

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Stadium) | 76,416 | Kansas City, Missouri

Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Stadium) | 64,767 | Miami Gardens, Florida

Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Stadium) | 69,796 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lumen Field (Seattle Stadium) | 69,000 | Seattle, Washington

Levi's Stadium (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium) | 68,500 | Santa Clara, California

Canada:

BC Place (BC Place Vancouver) | 54,500 | Vancouver

BMO Field (Toronto Stadium) | 28,180 | Toronto

Mexico:

Estadio Banorte (Estadio Ciudad de Mexico) | 87,523 | Mexico City

Estadio BBVA (Estadio Monterrey) | 53.500 | Monterrey

Estadio Akron (Estadio Guadalajara) | 49,850 | Guadalajara

Tournament structure

The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest ever and features a brand-new format involving a total of 48 nations, 16 more than previous editions.

The previous format of 32 nations split into eight groups has now been replaced by one featuring 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the knockout rounds.

The eight best third-placed nations will also advance to form the round of 32, where a classic knockout format will take place leading up to the final.

The newly-expanded World Cup means there will be a whopping 104 matches for football fans to feast their eyes on next summer, 40 more than in Qatar.

Nations who reach the semi-finals at the 2026 tournament will go on to play a maximum of eight matches - the two semi-final winners will battle it out in the final, while the losers will compete in a third-placed playoff a day earlier.

Nations who have qualified for the 2026 World Cup

CONCACAF:

• Canada (co-hosts)


• Mexico (co-hosts)


• United States (co-hosts)

AFC:

• Australia


• Iran


• Japan


• Jordan (debut)


• South Korea


• Uzbekistan (debut)

CONMEBOL:

• Argentina


• Brazil


• Ecuador

OFC:

• New Zealand

Written by
Oliver Thomas