The 2026 soccer World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada between June 11 and July 19, 2026.
This was the first expanded tournament to include 48 teams—an increase from the 32-nation limit that had been in place since 1998.
Teams will be divided into 12 groups consisting of four teams. The top two teams in each group, as well as the eight best third-place teams, will advance to the 32-team knockout stage.
With the increase in the number of teams, the number of matches in the World Cup finals will increase from 64 to 104.
We’ll start our look at the 2026 World Cup with a summary of the qualification process for each of the different confederations.
2026 World Cup Qualification
Each of the six confederations is guaranteed to be represented at the 2026 World Cup finals. We’ll take a closer look at the qualification process for each match, including match dates and relevant formats. In every confederation, except UEFA, there are inter-confederation playoff slots, which serve as a second chance for some countries to earn a place in the final.
The United States, Mexico and Canada all automatically qualify as host countries.
AFC will be given eight direct qualification slots for the finals and one inter-confederation playoff slot.
AFC qualification has reached Matchday 7 of the third round, where the remaining 18 teams are divided into three groups consisting of six teams.
Each team plays against other teams in its respective group, home and away. The top two teams in each group (six teams total) qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. The six third- and fourth-place teams in each group then advance to the fourth round, where they are divided into two groups of three teams.
In the fourth round, each country will face its group opponents once, at a neutral venue. Then, the two group winners will also immediately qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the two runners-up will face each other (home and away) for the opportunity to represent Asia in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Schedule and dates of remaining AFC matches
Third Round
| Match day 7 | March 20, 2025 |
| Match day 8 | March 25, 2025 |
| Match day 9 | June 5, 2025 |
| Match day 10 | June 10, 2025 |
Fourth Round
| Match day 1 | October 8, 2025 |
| Match day 2 | October 11, 2025 |
| Match day 3 | October 14, 2025 |
Fifth Round
| First Half | November 13, 2025 |
| Second Leg | November 18, 2025 |
CONMEBOL will be given six direct qualification slots for the final and one inter-confederation playoff slot.
CONMEBOL qualifiers take the form of one group with 10 teams. Each team has played 12 matches so far.
Each team plays against other teams in its respective group, home and away. The top six teams qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, while the seventh-placed team earns a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Schedule and dates of remaining CONMEBOL matches
Group stage
| Matches 13 & 14 | March 17-25, 2025 |
| Matches 15 & 16 | June 2-10, 2025 |
| Matches 17 & 18 | September 1-9, 2025 |
CAF will be given nine direct qualification slots for the final and one inter-confederation playoff slot.
The CAF qualifiers consist of nine groups, each containing six teams. Each team plays against other teams in its respective group, home and away.
The nine group winners immediately qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the four best group runners-up will advance to the playoffs (semi-finals and final) to determine which teams have the right to qualify for the inter-confederation playoffs.
Each team has so far played four matches in their group.
Schedule and dates of remaining CAF matches
Group stage
| Match 5 & 6 | March 17-25, 2025 |
| Match 7 & 8 | September 1–9, 2025 |
| Match 9 & 10 | October 6-14, 2025 |
Playoff stage
| Semifinals & Finals | November 10-18, 2025 |
OFC will be given one direct qualifying slot for the final and one inter-confederation playoff slot.
This is the first World Cup where OFC has a direct qualification slot to the World Cup finals.
OFC Qualification has reached the third round, with the remaining four teams advancing to the playoffs (semifinals and final). The winner has the right to go straight to the 2026 World Cup, while the runner-up will get a place in the inter-confederation playoff round.
Playoff stage
| Semifinals & Finals | March 2025. Date TBC |
UEFA will be given 16 qualifying slots directly to the final.
European qualifying groups have not yet started, with the first matchday taking place in March 2025.
The group stage featured 12 groups consisting of four or five teams. The 12 group winners immediately qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The playoff stage pits the 12 group runners-up against the four best Nations League group winners (based on overall Nations League ranking) who finished outside the top two in the European WC qualifying group. These sixteen teams will be drawn into four lanes and will play two rounds of single-game playoffs (semifinals and finals). The four-way winner will qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
UEFA match schedule and dates
Group stage
| Five team groups | All matches 2025 | Four groups of teams | All matches 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match day 1 | March 21-22 | — | — |
| Match day 2 | March 24-25 | — | — |
| Match day 3 | June 6-7 | — | — |
| Match day 4 | June 9-10 | — | — |
| Match day 5 | September 4-6 | Match day 1 | September 4-6 |
| Match day 6 | September 7-9 | Match day 2 | September 7-9 |
| Match day 7 | October 9-11 | Match day 3 | October 9-11 |
| Match day 8 | October 12-14 | Match day 4 | October 12-14 |
| Match day 9 | November 13-15 | Match day 5 | November 13-15 |
| Match day 10 | November 16-18 | Match day 6 | November 16-18 |
Playoff stage
| Semifinals | March 26, 2026 |
| Finals | March 31, 2026 |
CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football)
The three host countries, the USA, Mexico and Canada, are all from CONCACAF and qualify automatically.
In addition to the host nation, CONCACAF will be given three direct qualification slots for the finals and two inter-confederation playoff slots.
CONCACAF qualifying has reached the midway point of the second round, where there are six groups containing five teams each. Each team plays its group opponents once, with two games at home and two games away. The top two teams in each group qualify for the third round.
The 12 teams that qualified for the third round were then divided into three groups consisting of four teams each. They play each other home and away, with the three group winners qualifying directly for the 2026 World Cup, while the two best-placed runners-up will each earn a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Second Round
| Match day 2 | June 4-10, 2025 |
Third round
| Match 1 & 2 | September 1–9, 2025 |
| Match 3 & 4 | October 6-14, 2025 |
| Match 5 & 6 | November 10-18, 2025 |
Intercontinental playoff format
The intercontinental playoffs will determine the final two places at the 2026 World Cup and give the six teams who failed to qualify through their confederations a second chance to reach the big stage.
The six participating teams will consist of one team from each confederation, excluding UEFA, and one additional place for the host country’s confederation.
Two teams will be seeded based on their world ranking, and they will receive a bye in the first round of matches. The four unseeded teams will play knockout matches to be held in one of the host countries (to be determined). The winners of those matches will each play one of the top teams, with the two winning countries fighting for 47th and 48th place in the 2026 World Cup finals.
2006 World Cup FAQ
When will the 2026 World Cup take place?
The opening match is on 11 June 2026, and the final is on 19 July 2026.
Where will the 2026 World Cup be held?
Three countries will host the final tournament: the United States, Mexico and Canada.
How many countries will compete in the 2026 World Cup?
48 teams will compete in the final, an increase of 16 teams compared to the previous tournament.
How many matches will there be in the 2026 World Cup?
With the increase in the number of teams, the number of matches in the World Cup finals will increase from 64 to 104.
Where will the 2026 World Cup final be played?
The 2026 World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA. The stadium is home to the New York Giants and New York Jets in the NFL and opened in 2010.
How many cities will host 2026 World Cup matches?
There will be 16 cities hosting the World Cup. 11 are in America, three in Mexico and two in Canada.
Where will the 2022 World Cup be held?
The 2022 World Cup is being held in Qatar. This caused some controversy as it was the first tournament to be held outside of the traditional summer months due to Qatar’s extreme climate at that time.
Who is the defending World Cup champion?
Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties in the 2022 World Cup final after the match finished 3-3 at the end of extra time. This fantastic game was marked by a Kylian Mbappé hat trick and a Lionel Messi double.
When are substitutes allowed in World Cup matches?
New player substitutions were permitted at the 1970 World Cup. Until then, the starting XI at any World Cup could not be changed after the match had started.
The last 10 World Cup finals
| Year | Host Country | Winner | Runner up | Final score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Mexico | Argentina | West Germany | 3-2 |
| 1990 | Italy | West Germany | Argentina | 1-0 |
| 1994 | United States of America | Brazil | Italy | 0-0* |
| 1998 | France | France | Brazil | 3-0 |
| 2002 | South Korea/Japan | Brazil | German | 2-0 |
| 2006 | German | Italy | France | 1-1** |
| 2010 | South Africa | Spanish | Dutch | 1-0 (previously) |
| 2014 | Brazil | German | Argentina | 1-0 (previously) |
| 2018 | Russia | France | Croatia | 4-2 |
| 2022 | Qatar | Argentina | France | 3-3*** |
World Cup Winner
Since the first tournament in 1930, eight different teams have held the famous World Cup trophy.
| Winner | Number of titles | Many years |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 5 | 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 |
| Germany (including West Germany) | 4 | 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014 |
| Italy | 4 | 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006 |
| Argentina | 3 | 1978, 1986, 2022 |
| France | 2 | 1998, 2018 |
| Uruguay | 2 | 1930, 1950 |
| English | 1 | 1966 |
| Spanish | 1 | 2010 |
Top scorer in the World Cup final tournament
| Player | Goals scored | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Miroslav Klose | 16 | German |
| Ronaldo | 15 | Brazil |
| Gerd Muller | 14 | German |
| Just Fontaine | 13 | France |
| Lionel Messi | 13 | Argentina |
| Kylian Mbappe | 12 | France |
| Skin | 12 | Brazil |
| Sandor Kocsis | 11 | Hungary |
| Jürgen Klinsmann | 11 | German |
| Helmut Rahn | 10 | German |
| Gabriel Batistuta | 10 | Argentina |
| Gary Lineker | 10 | English |
| Teófilo Cubillas | 10 | Peru |
| Thomas Muller | 10 | German |
| Grzegorz Lato | 10 | Poland |
Latest 2026 World Cup betting odds
| Nation | Possibility | Nation | Possibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 5.50 | United States of America | 33.00 |
| Brazil | 7.00 | Uruguay | 38.00 |
| English | 9.00 | Mexico | 48.00 |
| Argentina | 10.00 | Croatia | 64.00 |
| Spanish | 10.00 | Denmark | 64.00 |
| German | 11.00 | Morocco | 67.00 |
| Portugal | 15.00 | Norway | 73.00 |
| Dutch | 17.00 | Switzerland | 78.00 |
| Italy | 23.00 | Japan | 81.00 |
| Belgium | 30.00 | Serbia | 93.00 |
The complete price list can be seen here. Each way odds are ½ chance for the first two places.
Check out Marathonbet Sportsbook for Latest live odds in the World Cup, as well as match betting on all qualifying matches.
You’ll find a range of predictions and guides on some of the best sporting events at Sports Betting Predictions part of the blog.
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