2026 FIFA World Cup Highlights and Key Details

Image source google Sports lover guide By Abhishek chandel

Host Nations: The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico in North America.

[{"selector":"#anim-71983254-0739-4f01-bd2a-b21e5c0a993f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-116.77215%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bb0117a2-cfc1-4536-b915-e3f3a53b690f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a02efc26-021d-40f5-87b5-4b3d4c1d3324","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-47c43ab9-dae1-4344-a9e1-63dcf1197169","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(113.82636%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ccf33ce0-c75c-4fd0-a992-9b7ed25b7a2c","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image source google

Record-Breaking Event: It will be the biggest World Cup in history with 48 teams, a record number of venues, and 80 matches.

[{"selector":"#anim-663dafd9-d624-492e-8c34-142094ace4c6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-32e6e196-d3a2-47b9-9374-bb83853ab0b0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-37ae2662-2d6d-41d6-bce5-508ecb04664f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image source google

Tri-National Bid: The North American bid win over Morocco with 134 votes to host the 2026 World Cup

[{"selector":"#anim-b1c57040-bee2-4fab-8117-255f18e5c649 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-22.479496439341492%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-70e4bf1a-8c23-4211-90c5-7efa8b1e6ef1","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] Image source google

Host Cities: A total of 16 venues were chosen by FIFA across the three countries: 11 in the USA, three in Mexico, and two in Canada.

[{"selector":"#anim-bbb640ae-0e67-4715-b572-434eaaf5d726 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(17.249927635857713%, 24.96392461004604%) scale(1.4992784922009208)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-20b20eb9-449f-4781-9e62-e91fb0c2bf01","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(113.82636%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e2fd9f3b-7d8a-477d-9276-7e67abafa462","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5b230bb7-aec1-4454-ab12-59725f02e309","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image source google

Historic Hosts: Mexico will be the first country to host three men's World Cups (1970, 1986, and 2026)

[{"selector":"#anim-c796d35e-6983-4c3d-838e-fb63f0060d3c","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3156fe88-5d22-47d7-a3a6-8ee8b4ff4c06","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7e66ab65-09ad-411b-b4bd-61f4e7988434","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-374e33c5-a879-4928-85b6-b18f998fe67f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image source google

The USA, having hosted in 1994, joins a select group of countries to have hosted multiple men's World Cups

[{"selector":"#anim-11de3b50-bdf5-408c-9d2a-b727db27ef1c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.11253%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a2fa01f2-c63b-4459-9116-66a3e785db8c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fba5d096-d07a-40b1-949a-02c1da85f086","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fa7eeeee-730f-4173-bd82-8bed987bf1c1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image source google

Canada's Experience: Canada has previously hosted FIFA events, including the Women's World Cup in 2015 and the men's Under-20 World Cup in 2007

[{"selector":"#anim-a79a8489-402f-40d6-bb3b-9b06dad63320","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-f8fda0f9-6ab5-48d4-8ebd-5bfaebc6e13e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-35.234374910402764%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] Image source google

Expanded Format: The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams, a 50% increase from the previous 32-team format

[{"selector":"#anim-0379e316-4a81-4f35-831e-e7bb6cce306b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.43408%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7209e491-5bd2-4834-9490-a4fd1d2fc984","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-45b20e72-7176-4618-abe2-e7cc2b36384d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-25185539-73ee-4dec-a9f2-5a4cdaf3b9f1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-35.234374910402764%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] Image source google

The group stage will consist of 16 groups of three teams, with the top two advancing to a 32-team knockout stage

[{"selector":"#anim-501a0a66-f1cd-4722-8c43-9c353917a2aa","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.43408%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1f266711-ab2a-43f7-97cf-8d5ea504f21e","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6ffd9cea-0581-43a3-9c05-ef556b62e6be [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image source google