What to know about FIFA 2026 World Cup

In a moment of abundant hatred and division, there is one thing to look forward to: 2026 will bring a much-needed opportunity to come together in the form of the 2026 World Cup." Activist Nelson Mandela once said, “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.” If a sport can unify the world more than ever, it is soccer. It’s the sport that creates a sense of community and connections that transcends social barriers of any kind. After four years of waiting since the last World Cup, much has happened.

What’s new about the 2026 World Cup? For the first time in history, three separate countries will host the tournament. This is only the second time that multiple countries have shared the responsibility of hosting (Japan and South Korea hosted together in 2002). Additionally, it will be the first time the men’s World Cup will be played in Canada. But by far the most exciting news has to be the increase in teams competing this year. 2026 marks the first time that 48 teams will compete against each other instead of the previous 32. 

What are the logistics? 

 The following three countries will be the hosts for the upcoming competition:

• Canada: Vancouver and Toronto 

• Mexico: Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey 

• United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle

Right Now the following Countries have already qualified: 

• AFC: Australia, IR Iran, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan

• CAF: Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia

• Concacaf: Curaçao, Haiti, Panama

• CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

• OFC: New Zealand

• UEFA: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Note: The United States, Mexico and Canada are already qualified because of their role as hosts. 

Do not fret if your country or team is not qualified! There is still room for more, as only 42 of 48 countries have qualified. 6 Countries are going to be fighting for their spot this year in the Play-Offs. Bolivia, Congo DR, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia, and Suriname have the opportunity to play this year if they win. Play-Offs will be divided into two brackets (groups). 

• Bracket 1: New Caledonia vs. Jamaica, with the winner facing Congo DR.

• Bracket 2: Bolivia vs. Suriname, with the winner facing Iraq

  
  

Note: The reason why Congo and Iraq only have to play one match is because their score is higher compared to the other teams.

Good luck to these countries and their supporters because in March of this year there will not be no more opportunities to play in the competition.

Due to the increase in teams, the schedule will change slightly. In the first round, teams will be divided into 12 groups of four teams each. The top two teams in each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 32. Meaning the team that triumphs in the final will have played eight games to be crowned champions, one more than at Qatar 2022.

Fun information

Not one or two but three mascots are gonna accompany us this year. For Mexico, Zayu the Jaguar will represent the country, whose indigenous name embodies his country's heritage, as it represents unity, strength, and joy. Furthermore, Canada’s new mascot is Maple the Moose, known for his strength and leadership. Finally, we have Clutch, the Bald Eagle, who provides purpose and passion for soccer. 

Stars

This year will be the last World Cup for some of the most prominent soccer players nowadays. Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed his retirement after the contest. On the other hand, Lionel Messi has not confirmed nor denied rumors of his appearance in this year's World Cup. Some experts speculate he will not participate taking into account Qatar 2022 he made some comments about “having to wait for his physical condition leading up to the event.” No further comment has been made by him or his team to know if he will be able to participate in this World Cup. Ultimately, the games this year will be iconic because aside from Messi and Ronaldo; the following stars will be playing:

• Kylian Mbappé (France)

• Erling Haaland (Norway)

• Jude Bellingham (England)

• Vinicius Junior (Brazil):

• Harry Kane (England)

• Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 

• Lamine Yamal (Spain)

• Pedri (Spain)

• James Rodrígues (Colombia) 

  
  

What are we expecting?

Qatar 2022 had arguably the greatest World Cup final in history, with Argentina lifting the trophy after a breathtaking penalty round. The world’s best player, Lionel Messi, finally got what he wanted: a new World Cup for his country after 1986, and all of Latin America were rooting for him, as other Latin American countries had been eliminated earlier. Additionally, Argentina’s soundtrack, “Los muchachos” by La Mosca was wonderful and widely celebrated. France competed well, with their center-forward Killian Mbappe putting up a most amiable fight, scoring a hat-trick in the final. The bar is high for World Cup 2026, and in order to match Qatar 2022, these are the must-haves: a wonderful soundtrack, a competition that fosters community, and matches where the audience suffers until the last second. Let’s see what World Cup 2026 brings to us.