Bigger will be better — that’s FIFA’s gamble for the all-changed 2026 World Cup, which takes place across a record number of host countries with more games than ever before.
The major difference from any iteration of the tournament is that 48 teams will compete in it for the first time. That means 16 more nations are set to be represented than at the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
All those extra fixtures will be played across three counties; Canada, Mexico and the United States, marking the first time a World Cup has been shared by three host nations.
In 2018 when FIFA members voted for the ‘United 2026 bid’, in front of Morocco’s proposal to host it, then U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro called it a “rare and important moment”.
“We are humbled by the trust our colleagues in the FIFA family have put in our bid,” he said. “Strengthened by the unity between our three countries and the Concacaf region and excited by the opportunity we have to put football on a new and sustainable path for generations to come.”
In May, President Donald Trump hosted a White House Task Force meeting to oversee preparations for the World Cup and confirmed that it will “help plan the biggest, safest and most extraordinary soccer tournament in history”.
At the meeting Trump confirmed Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York mayor Rudy, as the executive director of the task force and Cordeiro, now a FIFA advisor, was appointed as a senior advisor to it.
Andrew Giuliani is the head of the White House’s World Cup task force (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
“This will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase the beauty and greatness of America,” Trump said. “We can’t wait to welcome soccer fans from all over the globe. I have directed my entire team to do everything within our power to make the World Cup an unprecedented success… It’s going to be very special.”
The expanded number of participants means next summer’s competition will begin with 12 groups of four. The top two teams in each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 32.
Points will be used to decide which third-placed teams go through, along with goal difference and goals scored. If two or more teams are still level then “team conduct scores” will be used. A yellow card means minus one point, a red card after two yellows is minus three points, and a straight red card means minus four.
After that, if there are still equal teams, the one with the highest world ranking will be chosen to go through.
FIFA said they opted for 12 groups of four teams, rather than 16 groups of three teams, after a “thorough review that considered team and fan experience, player welfare and sporting integrity”.
Under the new format, the side which wins the final on July 19 will have played eight games, one more than in Qatar, after the inclusion of the additional round of 32 knockout phase.
It will mark the tournament’s return to North America after 32 years. The last time was USA ’94, which had the highest average attendance in the tournament’s history, while Mexico was the first nation to host the event twice. Canada have only qualified for the competition twice before and never hosted it.
The tournament will have 16 host cities across the three countries, consisting of Vancouver and Toronto in Canada along with Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey in Mexico.
Across the border in the U.S., the host cities will be Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle.
The scene at the Super Bowl this year in New Orleans (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Emphasising the scale of organising such a complex event in terms most Americans would immediately appreciate, secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem said in May that it was “equivalent to a dozen Super Bowls over a single summer”.
It is not just more teams, games or host cities. While Qatar had one mascot, a white floating ghutra (a traditional headdress) there will be one for each host nation next summer,
Canada will be represented by Maple the Moose, Mexico by Zayu the Jaguar and Clutch the Bald Eagle will fly the flag for the U.S.. FIFA say that each reflects the culture, heritage and spirit of their respective countries.
With the final taking place in New Jersey at MetLife stadium, there will be another new element that reflects a special part of American sporting culture too — a half-time show.
Plans for the Super Bowl-style half-time entertainment break were announced this year by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and Coldplay singer Chris Martin will help put together a set of artists to perform during the 15-minute interval.
To give an idea of what night be in store, last summer’s Club World Cup final saw J Balvin, Doja Cat and Tems headline that competition’s first half-time show. The game was played at MetLife stadium in front of 81,118 supporters, who watched as Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0.
Bigger, bolder and certainly different.
