Summers 2026 will enter the history of football. From June 11 to July 19, three countries — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — will host the largest World Cup in the tournament's history [citation:3][citation:7]. For the first time, 48 teams will play in the World Cup, matches will be held on the territory of three countries at once, and the total number of matches will reach 104 [citation:1][citation:8]. North America is on tenterhooks. The world is preparing for a football marathon that will last nearly a month and bring us a new champion.

48 teams: a new era of world football

The main sensation of this World Cup is its scale. FIFA has expanded the tournament from 32 to 48 national teams [citation:4][citation:8]. The decision was made several years ago, but it is now that we will see it work in practice for the first time. The logic is simple: give more countries a chance to fight for the main trophy. The idea is controversial, but the fact remains that we will see 12 groups instead of the usual eight in the group stage [citation:4][citation:8].

Two of the best teams from each group advance to the knockout stage. In addition, eight of the twelve teams that finished third will also qualify for the next round [citation:4][citation:8]. The system is complicated, but it guarantees that the fight for a place in the group will continue until the last minutes even for those who seemed to have lost everything. In the end, 32 teams will meet in the 1/16 finals. To reach the final, players will have to win eight matches instead of the previous seven [citation:4]. The players will face a serious test of endurance.

Three hosts: from the north to the south

For the first time, the World Cup is being hosted by three countries at once. Matches will be held in 16 cities: 11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada [citation:1][citation:5][citation:9]. Such a geographical and climatic spread creates unique conditions. Some will play at sea level, while others will face the high altitude of Mexico City. Footballers will have to adapt on the go.

The tournament will start on June 11, 2026 [citation:3]. The tournament will open with two matches: in Mexico City on the legendary "Azteca," the Mexicans will play against South Africa, and on the BMO Field in Toronto, the Canadians will face the Swiss national team [citation:1][citation:5]. "Azteca" is a special place in football history. It is here that Pele won his third World Cup, where Maradona scored the "goal of the century" and the "hand of God" [citation:5]. The stadium in Toronto will be expanded to 45,000 seats for the tournament [citation:1].

Stadiums in the US: a battle of giants

The main burden of the tournament falls on the American arenas. 78 of the 104 matches will be held in the United States [citation:9]. The main final will take place on July 19 at the "MetLife Stadium" in New York [citation:1][citation:5]. The stadium in East Rutherford can accommodate over 82,000 spectators — the largest stadium in the National Football League [citation:5]. It has hosted the Super Bowl, the club world championship final, and now it will become the place where the main trophy of the planet will be raised.

The semi-finals will be played at the "Mercedes-Benz Stadium" in Atlanta and the "AT&T Stadium" in Dallas [citation:1][citation:9]. The stadium in Atlanta is notable for its retractable roof-diaphragm, which opens in 12 minutes [citation:5]. In Dallas, a giant video cube is installed, and the capacity can reach 100,000 people [citation:5].

The US team will play its opening match on June 12 at the "SoFi Stadium" in Los Angeles [citation:1]. This modern stadium, opened in 2020, cost 5-6 billion dollars [citation:5]. The quarter-finals will be held in Boston, Kansas City, Miami, and Los Angeles [citation:1][citation:9]. The match for third place will be held at the "Hard Rock Stadium" in Miami [citation:1].

Group stage: star battles

The draw has already distributed the teams into groups, and several quartets look like "group of death".

Group C brings together five-time world champions Brazil, runners-up from the last World Cup Morocco, sturdy Scots, and debutants from Haiti [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10]. Brazil is the favorite, but upsets are possible.

Group I: the defending world champions — the French national team — will meet African lions from Senegal, Scandinavian vikings from Norway, and Iraqis, who are returning to the World Cup after a 40-year hiatus [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10].

Group J: the defending champions of South America — Argentina — will face Algerians, Austrians, and debutants from Jordan [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10].

Group K: Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo will play against Colombians, debutants from Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo team [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10].

Group L: the Teutons from the shores of the Foggy Albion will clash with "chess" Croats, black stars from Ghana, and Panamanians [citation:2][citation:6][citation:10].

The Russian national team did not qualify for the tournament due to the ongoing suspension of FIFA and UEFA [citation:6].

New names and historical returns

The expansion of the tournament has brought those who we did not see before to the world stage. Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Curaçao will play at the World Cup for the first time in history [citation:6][citation:10]. Imagine the tiny Curaçao, an island country with a population of about 160,000, which beats the giants on an equal footing. Uzbekistan, which has been close to the cherished goal for many years, has finally achieved it.

After decades, Iraq (last time at the World Cup in 1986) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (last time in 1974) have returned [citation:10]. The Democratic Republic of Congo has a Russian connection: striker Theo Bonnemain plays for CSKA Moscow [citation:10]. Captain Edin Dzeko of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be on the field at 40 years old, becoming one of the oldest field players in the history of World Cups [citation:10].

Awards: record motivation

FIFA has set a record prize fund for participants. The total amount will be 871 million dollars [citation:3][citation:7]. For comparison: at the last World Cup in Qatar, the teams divided 440 million. The growth is colossal — almost double.

Each of the 48 participating teams is guaranteed to receive at least 12.5 million dollars [citation:3][citation:7]. In addition, additional payments for preparation — 2.5 million for each team. The champion will receive significantly more, but FIFA has not yet disclosed the exact distribution figures. It is known that organizers feared that the tournament could be unprofitable for some federations — too high taxes in the United States and logistics costs [citation:3]. Therefore, they decided to increase the starting payments. Now even a team that loses all three matches will not go into the red.

What awaits fans and organizers

This World Cup will be a journey through half of the continent for fans. Matches are held from Vancouver in western Canada to Miami in the southeastern United States. The distances are huge. The car trip from Seattle to Los Angeles takes 20 hours. But organizers promise convenient transportation logistics and many special flights.

The main question is safety. All three host countries have a high level of organization of mass events. The United States and Canada regularly hold NFL and NHL matches with a huge crowd. Mexico hosted the Olympic Games and two World Cups. The authorities declare full readiness.

Forecasts and favorites

On paper, the main favorites are the teams of France, Argentina, Brazil, England, and Spain. But the expanded format hides pitfalls. More matches mean a higher risk of injuries and fatigue. Teams with a high rotation of the lineup will find it easier.

Upsets are inevitable. Remember Morocco at the last World Cup, which reached the semi-finals. Now there may be even more "dark horses". Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Iraq, or the Democratic Republic of Congo can spring a surprise. For them, every appearance on the field is already an historic event.

Conclusion

The 2026 World Cup will be a global-scale experiment. For the first time, the tournament has been expanded, for the first time it is being held by three countries, and for the first time in history we will see 104 matches in 39 days. Will FIFA be able to maintain the quality of the game with so many participants? We will see. One thing is clear: the summer of 2026 will be the main football festival for millions of fans around the world. North America is welcoming guests. The stadiums are ready. The jerseys are ironed. We are waiting for the first whistle.

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