🏆 THE NEW 48-TEAM FORMAT
PAGE 1 OF 5 · THE BIGGEST WORLD CUP
MORE TEAMS, MORE FOOTBALL
WHY 48 TEAMS?
For decades, the World Cup had 32 teams. That felt huge, but football kept growing. More countries wanted a seat at the table. FIFA decided to expand to 48 teams for 2026, making this the biggest World Cup in history. Sixteen extra nations get to dream on the world stage. Fans in new corners of the planet will hear their anthem in a full stadium for the first time. More teams also means more stories, upsets, and heroes. The tournament runs longer and packs in more matches than ever before. If you loved the drama of past World Cups, buckle up. This format is designed to give more nations a chance while still crowning one true champion at the end.
⚡ DID YOU KNOW?
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar had 32 teams and 64 matches. World Cup 2026 nearly doubles the action with 104 matches across the expanded format.
48 TEAMS!
EXPANSION
🌍 32 teams became 48
🎉 More nations, more fans
🎉 More nations, more fans
104 MATCHES
⚽ Weeks of non-stop football
📺 More games to watch than ever
📺 More games to watch than ever