The 2026 football World Cup will be held across USA, Mexico and Canada between 11th June and 19th July 2026.
This is the first expanded tournament with 48 teams taking part—an increase from the limit of 32 nations which has been in force since 1998.
The teams will be split into 12 groups of four teams. The top two in each group, as well as the eight best third-placed teams, will progress to a knockout round of 32 teams.
With the increased number of teams, the number of matches in the World Cup finals will increase from 64 to 104.
World Cup Guide 2026: Qualification, FAQs and the latest odds
We’ll start our look at the 2026 World Cup with a round-up of the qualifying process for each of the different confederations.
World Cup 2026 Qualification
Each of the six confederations is guaranteed representation at the 2026 World Cup finals. We’ll take a closer look at the qualification process for each, including match dates and the relevant formats. In each of the confederations, with the exception of UEFA, there are inter-confederation playoff slots, which act as a second chance for some nations to earn a place in the finals.
Which teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup 2026?
As of the 15th October, the following teams have all booked their places in the World Cup finals…
Host Nations (all CONCACAF)
- 🇺🇸 USA
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- 🇨🇦 Canada
AFC
- 🇮🇷 Iran
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- 🇺🇿 Ukbekistan
- 🇰🇷 South Korea
- 🇯🇴 Jordan
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- 🇶🇦 Qatar
- 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
CAF
- 🇲🇦 Morocco
- 🇹🇳 Tunisia
- 🇪🇬 Egypt
- 🇩🇿 Algeria
- 🇬🇭 Ghana
- 🇨🇻 Cabo Verde
- 🇿🇦 South Africa
- 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast
- 🇸🇳 Senegal
CONMEBOL
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- 🇨🇴 Colombia
- 🇪🇨 Ecuador
- 🇵🇾 Paraguay
- 🇺🇾 Uruguay
OFC
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
UEFA
- 🏴 England
AFC (Asian Football Confederation)
The AFC has been awarded eight direct qualifying slots for the finals and one inter-confederation playoff slot.
The fourth round of the AFC qualifiers, during which the 18 remaining teams were divided into three groups of six teams, has now concluded.
Each team played the others in their group home and away. The top two in each group (six teams in total) qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup. The six third and fourth placed teams in each group then progressed to the fourth round, where they were divided into two groups of three teams.
In the fourth round, each nation played their group opponents once, at a neutral venue. Then, the two group winners also qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup, whilst the two runners-up will play each other (home and away) for the opportunity to be the Asian representative in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Following the conclusion of the AFC qualifying groups, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Japan and Australia were confirmed as World Cup finalists after finishing in the top two places of their respective groups at the end of the third round. They were joined by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, who topped their groups in the fourth round.
United Arab Emirates will play Iraq in a two-legged fifth-round match to determine which of those sides will be the Asian representative in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Remaining AFC match schedule and dates
Third Round
| Matchday 7 ✅ | 20th March 2025 |
| Matchday 8 ✅ | 25th March 2025 |
| Matchday 9 ✅ | 5th June 2025 |
| Matchday 10 ✅ | 10th June 2025 |
Fourth Round
| Matchday 1 ✅ | 8th October 2025 |
| Matchday 2 ✅ | 11th October 2025 |
| Matchday 3 ✅ | 14th October 2025 |
Fifth Round
| First Leg | 13th November 2025 |
| Second Leg | 18th November 2025 |
CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation)
CONMEBOL has been awarded six direct qualifying slots for the finals and one inter-confederation playoff slot.
The CONMEBOL qualification took the form of one group with 10 teams. The group has now concluded.
Each team played the others in their group home and away. The top six teams qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup, whilst the seventh-place team has earned a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Argentina were the first team to assure themselves of qualification, after a decisive 4-1 home victory over Brazil on Matchday 14 guaranteed a top-six finish in the table. Ecuador and Brazil then confirmed their qualification for the World Cup finals in the next round of matches. Colombia, Uruguay and Paraguay all ensured their place in the finals across the last two matchdays.
Bolivia finished in seventh place in the table and will play in the inter-confederation play-offs, whilst Venezuela, Peru and Chile were all eliminated.
Remaining CONMEBOL match schedule and dates
Group stage
| Matchday 13 & 14 ✅ | 17th-25th March 2025 |
| Matchday 15 & 16 ✅ | 2nd-10th June 2025 |
| Matchday 17 & 18 ✅ | 1st-9th September 2025 |
CAF (Confederation of African Football)
The CAF has been awarded nine direct qualifying slots for the finals and one inter-confederation playoff slot.
The CAF qualifiers took the form of nine groups, each with six teams. Each team played the others in their group home and away.
The nine group winners qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup, whilst the four best group runners-up will progress to the playoffs (semi-final and final) to determine which team will earn a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Morocco and Tunisia were the first African teams to book their place in the finals, with Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, Algeria and Ghana joining them after the final two rounds of matches.
The four teams progressing to the playoffs for a place in the inter-confederation playoffs are Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon and DR Congo.
Remaining CAF match schedule and dates
Group stage
| Matchday 5 & 6 ✅ | 17th-25th March 2025 |
| Matchday 7 & 8 ✅ | 1st–9th September 2025 |
| Matchday 9 & 10 ✅ | 6th-14th October 2025 |
Playoff stage
| Semi-finals & Final | 10th-18th November 2025 |
OFC (Oceania Football Confederation)
The OFC has been awarded one direct qualifying slot for the finals and one inter-confederation playoff slot.
This is the first World Cup in which the OFC has a direct qualification slot for the World Cup finals.
The OFC qualifying has now been completed. New Zealand have qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup, whilst New Caledonia has earned a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Playoff stage
| Semi-finals & Final ✅ | 21st-24th March 2025. |
UEFA (Union of European Football Associations)
UEFA has been awarded 16 direct qualifying slots for the finals.
The European qualifying schedule sees 12 groups of four or five teams formed. The 12 group winners qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup.
The playoff stage will then see the 12 group runners-up joined by the four best Nations League group winners (based on the Nations League overall ranking) that finished outside the top two in their WC qualifying group. These sixteen teams will be drawn into four paths and will play two rounds of single-match playoffs (semi-finals and a final). The four path winners will also qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
With two matchdays remaining in the group stage, only England have assured themselves of a place in the World Cup Finals to date.
UEFA match schedule and dates
Group stage
| Five team groups | All matches 2025 | Four team groups | All matches 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matchday 1 ✅ | 21st-22nd March | — | — |
| Matchday 2 ✅ | 24th-25th March | — | — |
| Matchday 3 ✅ | 6th-7th June | — | — |
| Matchday 4 ✅ | 9th-10th June | — | — |
| Matchday 5 ✅ | 4th-6th September | Matchday 1 | 4th-6th September |
| Matchday 6 ✅ | 7th-9th September | Matchday 2 | 7th-9th September |
| Matchday 7 ✅ | 9th-11th October | Matchday 3 | 9th-11th October |
| Matchday 8 ✅ | 12th-14th October | Matchday 4 | 12th-14th October |
| Matchday 9 | 13th-15th November | Matchday 5 | 13th-15th November |
| Matchday 10 | 16th-18th November | Matchday 6 | 16th-18th November |
Playoff stage
| Semi-finals | 26th March 2026 |
| Finals | 31st March 2026 |
CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football)
The three host nations, USA, Mexico and Canada, are all from CONCACAF and qualify automatically.
The host nations aside, CONCACAF have been awarded a further three direct qualifying slots for the finals and two inter-confederation playoff slots.
The 12 teams who have made it through to the third round in the CONCACAF qualifying have been split into three groups of four teams each. They play each other home and away, with the three group winners qualifying directly for the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, the two best ranked runners-up will each earn a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
With two matches left to play for each team in the third-round group stage, no nation has booked their place in the finals yet.
Second Round
| Matchday 2 ✅ | 4th-10th June 2025 |
Third round
| Matchday 1 & 2 ✅ | 1st–9th September 2025 |
| Matchday 3 & 4 ✅ | 6th-14th October 2025 |
| Matchday 5 & 6 | 10th-18th November 2025 |
Intercontinental playoff format
The Intercontinental playoffs will decide the final two places in the 2026 World Cup and give 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 confederation of the host countries.
Two of the teams will be seeded based on their world rankings, and they’ll get a bye in the first round of matches. The four unseeded teams play knockout games, which will be held in one of the host countries (to be determined). The winners of those matches will each play one of the seeded teams, with the two victorious nations claiming the 47th and 48th spots in the 2026 World Cup finals.
World Cup 2006 FAQs
When will the 2026 World Cup take place?
The opening match is on the 11th of June 2026, with the final taking place on 19th July 2026.
Where will the 2026 World Cup be held?
Three countries will host the final tournament: USA, Mexico and Canada.
How many countries will compete in the 2026 World Cup?
48 teams will compete in the finals, an increase of 16 over recent tournaments.
How many matches will there be in the 2026 World Cup?
With the increased 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 the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA. The stadium is the home ground for the New York Giants and New York Jets in the NFL and opened in 2010.
How many cities will be hosting 2026 World Cup matches?
There will be 16 host cities in the World Cup. 11 are in the USA, three in Mexico and two in Canada.
Where was the 2022 World Cup held?
The 2022 World Cup was held in Qatar. It caused some controversy as it was the first tournament to held outside of the traditional summer months due to the extremes of the Qatar climate at that time of the year.
Who are the defending World Cup champions?
Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties in the 2022 World Cup final after the match ended 3-3 at the conclusion of extra-time. This fantastic game was notable for a Kylian Mbappé hattrick and a brace for Lionel Messi.
When were substitutes allowed in World Cup matches?
It was not until the 1970 World Cup that substitutes were allowed. Until then, the starting XI in any World Cup could not be changed once the match had begun.
Last 10 World Cup finals
| Year | Host Country | Winners | Runners-Up | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Mexico | Argentina | West Germany | 3-2 |
| 1990 | Italy | West Germany | Argentina | 1-0 |
| 1994 | United States | Brazil | Italy | 0-0* |
| 1998 | France | France | Brazil | 3-0 |
| 2002 | South Korea/Japan | Brazil | Germany | 2-0 |
| 2006 | Germany | Italy | France | 1-1** |
| 2010 | South Africa | Spain | Netherlands | 1-0 (a.e.t.) |
| 2014 | Brazil | Germany | Argentina | 1-0 (a.e.t.) |
| 2018 | Russia | France | Croatia | 4-2 |
| 2022 | Qatar | Argentina | France | 3-3*** |
World Cup winners
Since the first tournament in 1930, eight different teams have held the famous World Cup trophy.
| Winners | Number of titles | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 5 | 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 |
| Germany (incl. 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 |
| England | 1 | 1966 |
| Spain | 1 | 2010 |
Top scorers in World Cup final tournaments
| Player | Goals Scored | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Miroslav Klose | 16 | Germany |
| Ronaldo | 15 | Brazil |
| Gerd Müller | 14 | Germany |
| Just Fontaine | 13 | France |
| Lionel Messi | 13 | Argentina |
| Kylian Mbappé | 12 | France |
| Pelé | 12 | Brazil |
| Sándor Kocsis | 11 | Hungary |
| Jürgen Klinsmann | 11 | Germany |
| Helmut Rahn | 10 | Germany |
| Gabriel Batistuta | 10 | Argentina |
| Gary Lineker | 10 | England |
| Teófilo Cubillas | 10 | Peru |
| Thomas Müller | 10 | Germany |
| Grzegorz Lato | 10 | Poland |
Latest 2026 World Cup betting odds
| Nation | Odds | Nation | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 6.80 | Colombia | 38.00 |
| Brazil | 7.40 | USA | 56.00 |
| France | 7.40 | Croatia | 71.00 |
| England | 8.30 | Denmark | 71.00 |
| Argentina | 11.75 | Mexico | 71.00 |
| Portugal | 12.00 | Norway | 71.00 |
| Germany | 12.00 | Austria | 106.00 |
| Uruguay | 18.25 | Japan | 106.00 |
| Netherlands | 22.00 | Morocco | 106.00 |
| Italy | 26.00 | Switzerland | 106.00 |
| Belgium | 31.00 | Ecuador | 111.00 |
A full list of prices can be found here.
Check the Marathonbet Sportsbook for the latest outright odds on the World Cup, as well as match betting on all the qualifying matches.
You’ll discover a range of predictions and guides on some of the top sporting events in the Sports Betting Predictions section of the blog.
