WC 2026 — every important number
Format at a glance
Up from 32 at Qatar 2022. First-ever 48-team tournament.
72 group stage + 32 knockout (incl. NEW Round of 32).
12 groups of 4 — top 2 + 8 best 3rds = 32 to R32.
11 June 2026 (Estadio Azteca) → 19 July 2026 (MetLife).
USA × 11, Mexico × 3, Canada × 2.
First-ever tri-host tournament — USA + Mexico + Canada.
Prize money
Up from $440M in 2022. Biggest in WC history.
Approximate — FIFA pays federation, distributes per local bonus deal.
Standard 2026 allocation.
Every nation banks this just for showing up at MD1.
Things you should know
- 01Argentina enter as defending champions (Qatar 2022, beat France on penalties)
- 02Mexico City's Estadio Azteca becomes the FIRST stadium to host three World Cup matches (1970, 1986, 2026)
- 03MetLife Stadium (NJ) hosts the final — the first WC final in the New York metro area since 1994
- 04France enter on a 28-match unbeaten WC streak (2018 win + 2022 silver). The model still has them top-3
- 05The USA last hosted in 1994 — the average attendance that tournament (68,991) is still the record
- 062026 is also the first WC since 1990 with the BBC, ITV, FOX and Telemundo all live in primary markets
- 07Italy missing for the third consecutive cycle. Sweden, Russia, Wales also absent. Largest "marquee absences" since 1958
- 085 nations make their FIRST WC appearance in 2026 (excluding 1930 inaugural): Wales's neighbours, Cape Verde, etc.
The live tournament tracker
These numbers update after every match. Pre-tournament: placeholders. After MD1: live values with calibration over the model expectations.
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