Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterThere are fewer than 100 days until the World Cup begins on 11 June, with excitement for the tournament beginning to swell.A beefed-up format welcomes 48 teams to Canada, the USA, and Mexico, making the 2026 tournament the biggest single-sport event in history.As such, there will be even more games than previous tournaments, so get ready for a feast of international football. You may like FIFA World Cup 2026: Dates, fixtures, stadiums, tickets and everything you need to know World Cup 2026 fixtures in full: The complete schedule This is how you can apply for 2026 World Cup tickets today How many matches at 2026 FIFA World Cup?Because of the 16-team increase from the 32-team tournaments we have seen since 1998, there will be four more groups, with England occupying Group L, the last group to play.Each group consists of six games, as all four teams play each other once, meaning an additional 24 games have been added to the schedule across the group stage.That brings the group stage total to 72 matches, beginning with Mexico vs South Africa and culminating in simultaneous group J clashes of Algeria versus Austria and Jordan versus Argentina.The eight best third-placed finishers across the 12 groups will qualify for the World Cups first ever round of 32, alongside every group winner and runner-up.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.That means an additional 16 matches in the knockout stage, before returning to the traditional round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final.That would bring the total number of matches to 103. But dont forget footballs most pointless match, the third-placed play-off, when the two losing semi-finalists face off for pride.Overall, 104 matches will be played at the 2026 World Cup, an extraordinary 62% increase on the 64 games played in 2022.The decision to expand the tournament so drastically has brought controversy, with some fans arguing that it diminishes the overall level of the tournament.However, the four debuting nations of Jordan, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, and Curacao will be delighted with FIFAs decision and will all be aiming to spring a surprise to make it to the knockout stages.Its fair to say it would be unlikely for any to play in the tournaments 104th and final game.TOPICSRicharlisonLionel MessiArgentinaSouth AfricaMexicoJoseph SaundersSocial Links NavigationJoseph is a current News Associates trainee studying for his NCTJ qualification after graduating from Durham University with a Physics degree. He spends his free time watching any sport he can find on TV and explaining how his degree is applicable to sports journalism to his family. Joseph supports Arsenal and has years of past FourFourTwo magazines storage, but has written on over 20 sports for publications such as The Mirror, LondonWorld, and Yahoo.com.
