Football expert Andy Schooler is licking his lips at the prospect of the upcoming World Cup 2026, with an expanded tournament in terms of countries and locations. Read his in-depth preview ahead of next summer’s huge footballing extravaganza.
World Cup 2026: Huge In-Depth Overview
World Cup 2026 will begin on Thursday June 11, with the final taking place on Sunday July 19.
Due to its expanded, 48-team format (more on this below), the tournament now takes place over five and a half weeks.
World Cup 2026: When Is It?
USA, Mexico and Canada are the three co-hosts for the 2026 edition of the tournament. The majority of the matches, including the final, will take place in the USA.
World Cup 2026: Who’s Qualified?
England booked their place at next summer’s finals last month and Scotland did so in dramatic fashion by beating Denmark on Tuesday night. Wales and Northern Ireland may yet make it but will have to come through March’s play-offs (see below).
The three host nations were granted automatic spots in the field but the first team to actually qualify via events on the pitch were Japan, who did so back in March. They have since been joined by Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, all of whom will be making their World Cup debut.
Here is a full list – by region – of the nations to have qualified so far. 42 of the 48 qualifiers are currently known:
Europe (UEFA, 16) – Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
South America (CONMEBOL, 6) – Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
North & Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF, 6) – Canada, Curacao, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, USA
Africa (CAF, 9) – Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Asia (AFC, 8) – Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Oceania (OFC, 1) – New Zealand
The figures shown are the number of direct qualification slots available in each region. Two further slots will be decided by intercontinental play-offs – more on these below.
World Cup 2026: Who Misses Out?
Italy are the only team in the top 10 of FIFA’s rankings who are yet to book their spot. After finishing second to Norway in their group, the Italians will need to come through March’s play-offs if they are to avoid missing out on a third successive World Cup. Denmark, Turkey and Ukraine are other top-30 teams who also face the play-off route in March – more on this below. The highest-ranked team who definitely won’t be at the Finals is the currently suspended Russia (30th). After that, it is Serbia (36th), who could finish only third in England’s qualifying group.
World Cup 2026: Play Offs
Six spots at next summer’s Finals remain up for grabs and they will be decided in March.
Europe still has four berths at stake. These will be decided by four play-off ‘paths’. Each will comprise two semi-finals and one final (all played in a single-leg format). The winners of the four finals will be off to North America next year.
The draw for these play-offs is as follows:
Path A
SF1: Italy v Northern Ireland
SF2: Wales v Bosnia-Herzegovina
SF2 winners at home in final
Path B
SF3: Ukraine v Sweden
SF4: Poland v Albania
SF3 winners at home in final
Path C
SF5: Turkey v Romania
SF6: Slovakia v Kosovo
SF6 winners at home in final
Path D
SF7: Denmark v North Macedonia
SF8: Czechia v Republic of Ireland
SF8 winners at home in final
The semi-finals will take place on March 26 with the finals on March 31.
Meanwhile, two World Cup berths will be decided by an intercontinental play-off tournament, to be staged in Mexico, also during the March international window.
The draw for these play-offs is as follows:
Path A
New Caledonia v Jamaica
Winner to play DR Congo in final
Path B
Bolivia v Suriname
Winner to play Iraq in final
World Cup 2026: Draw
The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals will take place at 1700 GMT on Friday December 5 in Washington, DC. It will see the 48 teams drawn into 12 groups of four. Only 42 of the 48 qualifiers will be known at the time of the draw. What is already known is that Mexico will be in Group A, Canada in Group B and USA in Group D.
World Cup 2026: Seedings
FIFA’s tournament rules and regulations state that the FIFA world ranking is used to determine the seedings for Friday’s draw. The teams have been split into four pots for the draw with the undetermined ‘qualifiers’ (those who will emerge from the play-offs) all placed in pot four.
The three co-hosts have all been placed in pot one where they are joined the top nine sides in the FIFA rankings, including England. Scotland, preparing for their first World Cup in 28 years, are in pot three. The full seeding post list is as follows:
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, six play-off winners
With the exception of Europe, two teams from the same confederation cannot be drawn into the same group. A potential ‘group of death’? How about Argentina, Morocco, Italy (if they qualify) and Norway? As for a cushy draw for England? Well, they could go in with Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, who are the lowest-ranked countries in each of the other pots.
With regard to the knockout phase, FIFA has also announced that the top four teams in its rankings will – provided they win their groups – be kept apart until the semi-finals. Each will effectively head up their ‘quarter’ of the draw. Those nations are Spain, Argentina, France and England.
World Cup 2026: New Format
The last seven editions of the World Cup have all featured 32 teams but expansion is upon us once again. The 2026 World Cup will be the first to comprise 48 nations, meaning the number of games jumps from 64 to 104. The champions will play eight matches – one more than was required when Argentina triumphed in 2022. The increase in teams not only makes the tournament longer – this edition will take almost six weeks to resolve – but also necessitates a change in format.
The teams will initially be split into 12 groups of four. The top two in each will progress to the knockout stage where they will be joined by the eight best third-placed sides. The knockout phase will begin with a round of 32, so teams will be expected to win five knockout rounds in order to lift the trophy.
Match 2026: Fixtures/Schedule
While a fixture template has been revealed by tournament organisers, the exact fixture list, including kick-off times, will not be published until after the draw. The full fixture list is expected to be announced shortly after the draw, which takes place on December 5. What is already known is that co-hosts Mexico will play the opening game of the tournament on June 11. Canada and USA will both enter the fray the following day, June 12.
The knockout stage bracket is already set, too. Most group winners will play a third-placed team in the last 32, although the winners of Groups C, F, H and J will all have to face a runner-up. However, to counter-balance that, the winners of those groups have the advantage of knowing they cannot face a fellow pool winner until the quarter-finals.
World Cup 2026: Match Times
Again, this won’t be known until after the draw and the fixtures are set. Kick-off times have been a talking point ever since last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup was staged in the United States. Then, matches regularly took place in temperatures above 30C, while several were suspended due to the threat of lightning. This drew widespread criticism. Matches at that tournament began at 1700, 2000, 2300 and 0200 BST.
With four games a day on 15 successive days, it had been expected that the World Cup would follow a similar pattern but organisers will be under pressure to reduce player exposure to the heat. They will, however, also have to balance that with their commitments to broadcast partners, particularly those in Europe, who will not want too many matches kicking off in the US evening.
World Cup 2026: Venues
A total of 16 stadiums will be used to stage matches next summer. Eleven of those are in the USA, three in Mexico and two in Canada. The final will take place at what is widely known as MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is the home of the New York Giants and Jets NFL teams and holds 78,576, according to FIFA, although it also says that figure could change depending on exactly how the stadium is configured for ‘soccer’ matches.
As a branding exercise to get the name of one of the country’s most famous cities into the tournament, organisers describe the venue New York New Jersey. However, as it sits to the west of the Hudson River, it is situated in the state of New Jersey and not New York, which lies to the east of the Hudson. The opening match will be held at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, which hosted the 1970 and 1986 finals. FIFA lists its capacity as 72,766. Dallas is the other venue with a capacity above 70,000.
World Cup 2026: Full Venue List:
USA
Atlanta – Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Home of the Atlanta Falcons NFL team and the Atlanta United MLS club. Hosted the 2019 Super Bowl under its retractable roof.
Boston – Gillette Stadium – The New England Patriots play here, as do MLS side New England Revolution. It is actually in Foxborough, more than 20 miles from the centre of Boston.
Dallas – AT&T Stadium – The Dallas Cowboys play here. It is situated in Arlington and holds the record attendance for a regular-season NFL game with more than 105,000 people inside for a 2009 Cowboys match. Retractable roof.
Houston – NRG Stadium – Another with a retractable roof, this stadium is the home of the Houston Texans in the NFL. It has regularly staged international and club ‘soccer’ matches in the past.
Kansas City – Arrowhead Stadium – One of the largest NFL stadiums but also one of the oldest (opened in 1972). The Kansas City Chiefs play here.
Los Angeles – SoFi Stadium – Only opened in 2020 but staged the Super Bowl two years later. Home to both the LA Rams and Chargers, it is an indoor venue with a translucent roof, which allows sunlight in.
Miami – Hard Rock Stadium – As well as staging Miami Dolphins games in the NFL (as well as six Super Bowls), this stadium also plays host to the Miami Open tennis tournament every March. F1’s Miami Grand Prix also races through its parking lot on an annual basis.
New York New Jersey – MetLife Stadium – Will host the World Cup final 12 years after it was the home of the Super Bowl. Both of New York’s NFL teams – the Giants and Jets – play here.
Philadelphia – Lincoln Financial Field – The Philadelphia Eagles American football team are the long-term tenants here.
San Francisco – Levi’s Stadium – Listed as being in one of California’s best-known cities but it is actually 40 miles away in Santa Clara. Home to the San Francisco 49ers NFL team. Will host Super Bowl LX in February.
Seattle – Lumen Field – Unlike many World Cup venues, this one is in the heart of the city. The successful Seattle Sounders (men) and Seattle Reign (women) both play here, as do the city’s NFL team, the Seahawks.
Mexico
Mexico City – Estadio Azteca – Hosted the World Cup final in both 1970 and 1986 when Pele and Diego Maradona, respectively, lifted the trophy. Sits more than 2,000m above sea level.
Guadalajara – Estadio Akron – Home of Mexican side CD Guadalajara. Another high-altitude venue.
Monterrey – Estadio BBVA – Has become famous for its scenic view of the Cerro de la Silla mountain, which can be seen from certain areas of the ground. Altitude is lower than its Mexican counterparts though. CF Monterrey play here.
Canada
Vancouver – BC Place – Renovated ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics – it hosted the opening ceremony – BC Place has a retractable roof and is home to the Vancouver Whitecaps, who play in Major League Soccer.
Toronto – BMO Field – A soccer-specific stadium which is home to MLS side Toronto FC.
World Cup 2026: Betting Odds
European champions Spain are favourites in Kwiff’s outright betting market at 4.45. Following their perfect qualifying campaign, England are second on the list at 5.6, just ahead of France at 6.35. That’s shorter than both Brazil and holders Argentina (both 7.1). Then come UEFA Nations League winners Portugal (8.7) and Germany (10.3). Netherlands are the only other team inside the 25 mark. They are considered 16.2 shots.
Looking further down the market, Ecuador may interest some at 65.0 after they finished second in South American qualifying behind the Argentines, losing only two of their 18 games. Croatia – runners-up in 2018 and semi-finalists last time out in 2022 – are at 58.0. Host nations USA and Mexico are both 62.0 chances. Morocco are considered the most-likely African winners at 66.0. Scotland will play at their first World Cup since 1998 but are among the rank outsiders at 190.0.
World Cup 2026: Ticketing
Many tickets have already been sold via a ballot system. However, more applications for tickets will be taken by FIFA “shortly after the final draw” when fans will be able to apply for tickets to specific matches. Full details have yet to be announced. There will also be a last-minute sales phase closer to the tournament.
World Cup 2026: TV Coverage
UK TV coverage of the 2026 World Cup will again be provided by the BBC and ITV, who will share the games between them. All 104 matches will be shown live on their free-to-air channels, as well as via their online platforms – BBC iPlayer and ITVX.
World Cup 2026: Home Nations Plans
Yes, albeit opponents are not yet known. In March, both England and Scotland are due to play two friendlies with the Three Lions likely to seek out top-class opponents given they haven’t faced any of their fellow World Cup favourites since meeting Spain in the final of Euro 2024.
It is also expected that both nations will play one or two warm-up games between the end of the domestic season and the start of the World Cup. The Premier League season will finish on May 24 with the Champions League final taking place on May 30. In Scotland, the Premiership campaign ends on May 17 with the Scottish Cup final scheduled for May 23.
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