Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterNo matter who wins it, the 2026 World Cup promises to be an historic affair.Football's biggest party is set to kick off on June 11 as World Cup 2026 is hosted by three North American countries for the first time ever, in Mexico, the United States and Canada.It will also see a record-breaking number of nations participating this summer.World Cup 2026 to break new groundSince 1998, the World Cup comprised of 32 nations split across eight groups of four; a move which marked an incremental increase from 24 teams between 1982 and 1994.But for the first time in its 96-year history. FIFA has risen its intake of competing countries to 48 international teams as part of a move ratified by president Gianni Infantino in January 2017. You may like When is the first World Cup 2026 game? Every World Cup 2026 group stage tiebreaker: What happens if teams finish with the same points? FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures & complete schedule The higher participant figure has seen four new debutants, the most at a World Cup since the six for Germany in 2006, in Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.It also means a change to the previously tried and tested format as the additional 16 teams sees the group stage expanded to 12 brackets of four - listed from A to L.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.A new way of working also carries a domino effect to the knockout stage with teams now starting their route to the final at the Round of 32 instead of the previous last 16.To reach that, nations have to either finish in the top two positions of their respective group or - and this is where it gets complicated - be one of the top-ranked third teams.Those who finish in the top eight positions of FIFA's mini-league are then automatically drawn against the winner from Groups A, B, D, E, G, I, K or L.In total, the World Cup will see 104 matches played from start to finish while the 48-team format could be expanded further to mark the competition's centenary in 2030.A proposal by South American football's governing body CONMEBOL wants the tournament held predominantly in Spain, Portugal and Morocco to feature 64 teams.For now, though, the class of 2026 are breaking new ground.Richard Buxton
