The 2026 World Cup marks a significant shift in scale when the number of participating teams is increased to 48, instead of 32 as before. This increase leads to a total of 104 matches, becoming the tournament with the busiest schedule in history.
Accordingly, 48 teams are divided into 12 groups, each group consisting of 4 teams. After the group stage, the top two teams in each group along with 8 third-placed teams with the best results will advance. The knockout round starts from round 1/16 with a total of 32 teams.
This is also the first time the tournament has been co-hosted by 3 countries: the US, Canada and Mexico. The matches take place in 16 cities across North America. In which, the US hosts most of the matches, including the final, while Canada and Mexico host the group stage matches and some knockout matches.
In parallel with that, the VAR system is expanded in scope to increase accuracy in arbitration decisions. In addition, technologies such as 3D situation simulation and artificial intelligence data analysis are also being deployed, supporting both professional and television work.
