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.
USA, Mexico and Canada all qualify automatically as host nations.
AFC (Asian Football Confederation)
The AFC will be awarded eight direct qualifying slots for the finals and one inter-confederation playoff slot.
The AFC qualifiers have reached Matchday 7 in the third round, in which the 18 remaining teams are divided into three groups of six teams.
Each team plays the others in their group home and away. The top two in each group (six teams in total) qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. The six third and fourth placed teams in each group then progress to the fourth round, where they are divided into two groups of three teams.
In the fourth round, each nation plays their group opponents once, at a neutral venue. Then, the two group winners will also qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, whilst the two runners-up play each other (home and away) for the opportunity to 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 will be awarded six direct qualifying slots for the finals and one inter-confederation playoff slot.
The CONMEBOL qualification takes the form of one group with 10 teams. Each team has played 12 matches so far.
Each team plays the others in their group home and away. The top six teams qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, whilst the seventh-place team earns a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
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)
CAF will be awarded nine direct qualifying slots for the finals and one inter-confederation playoff slot.
The CAF qualifiers take the form of nine groups, each with six teams. Each team plays the others in their group, home and away.
The nine group winners qualify 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.
Each team has played four matches so far in their group.
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)
OFC will be 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 reached the third round, with the four remaining teams progressing to the playoffs (semi-final and final). The winner qualifies directly for the 2026 World Cup, whilst the runner-up will earn a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Playoff stage
| Semi-finals & Final | March 2025. Dates TBC |
UEFA (Union of European Football Associations)
UEFA will be awarded 16 direct qualifying slots for the finals.
The European qualifying groups have not yet started, with the first matchdays taking place in March 2025.
The group stage sees 12 groups of four or five teams. The 12 group winners qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup.
The playoff stage sees 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 European 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 qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
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 will be awarded a further three direct qualifying slots for the finals and two inter-confederation playoff slots.
The CONCACAF qualifying has reached the half-way point in the second round, in which there are six groups containing five teams in each. Each team plays their group opponents once, with two matches at home and two away. The top-two teams in each group qualify for the third round.
The 12 teams who make it through to the third round are then 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, whilst the two best ranked runners-up will each earn a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 5.50 | USA | 33.00 |
| Brazil | 7.00 | Uruguay | 38.00 |
| England | 9.00 | Mexico | 48.00 |
| Argentina | 10.00 | Croatia | 64.00 |
| Spain | 10.00 | Denmark | 64.00 |
| Germany | 11.00 | Morocco | 67.00 |
| Portugal | 15.00 | Norway | 73.00 |
| Netherlands | 17.00 | Switzerland | 78.00 |
| Italy | 23.00 | Japan | 81.00 |
| Belgium | 30.00 | Serbia | 93.00 |
A full list of prices can be found here. Each way odds are ½ the odds for the first two places.
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.
