[Soccer Stadium. Photo Credit: Pixabay]

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened on June  11, marking the first tournament to feature 48 teams and the first to be hosted by three countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19 and  will feature matches in 16 cities across North America, making it the largest tournament ever held.

According to FIFA, the tournament  will include 104 matches,  significantly more than the 64 matches played under the previous 32-team format.

The opening match  took place in Mexico City, while Canada and the United States also staged early host-nation matches.

Canada and Mexico are each scheduled to host 13 matches,  while the United States  will host 78.

This distribution  underscores the tournament’s  scale and the larger travel and venue demands created by the expanded format.

Instead of eight groups of four, the tournament now  features 12 groups of four teams.

The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the Round of 32.

The expanded format increases the number of participating teams from 32 to  48, allowing more nations to participate in the competition.

Among the teams competing are four nations making their  World Cup  debut: Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan.

Their qualification reflects the expanded global representation made possible by the tournament’s expansion.

Traditional football  powerhouse including Argentina, France, Brazil, Germany, England, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands return as favourites. 

Several high-profile players are also  expected to participate in the tournament, including Argentina’s Lionel Messi, France’s Kylian Mbappé, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Spain’s Lamine Yamal, Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior, Japan’s Takefusa Kubo, and England’s Jude Bellingham.

As co-hosts, Canada, Mexico, and the United States have automatically qualified for the tournament. 

Matches are being held in major cities across all three countries, with venues selected to accommodate the larger number of teams and  matches.

The 2026 World Cup is notable for its expanded 48-team format, new Round of 32, and increased representation of national teams. 

The final is scheduled to be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July  19th.