Summary
The World Cup that was held in Qatar in 2022 turned out to be a tremendous success on many fronts, and it culminated in a championship match that ranks among the very best in the event’s long and illustrious history.
Fans and teams alike were treated to state-of-the-art facilities, exceptional hospitality, and a taste of Arab culture during the recent World Cup, which was held in Qatar despite a great deal of scepticism regarding the viability of holding such a large tournament in such a small country. However, the tournament went off without a hitch.
What is the total number of teams that will compete in the 2026 World Cup?
Everything about this World Cup is going to be on a far larger scale than previous tournaments. Fifa has stated that the number of teams competing in the World Cup in the United States would increase to 48, up from 32 in Qatar.
This expansion to 16 teams is the most significant one in the history of the World Cup’s development.
Africa and Asia will be the regions that stand to benefit the most from the growth. As a result of the switch to the new structure, there will be nine qualifying places available for Africa, up from the previous total of five, while the number of spots available for Asia will almost quadruple, going from 4.5 to 8.
How many matches will there be, and what kind of matches will they be?
Following the positive results seen in Qatar with the four-team group structure, FIFA has decided to keep using that particular format. Who would result in a total of 12 groups of four teams, with the top two teams from each group proceeding to the knockout round alongside the eight teams that finished in third place.
This format would also entail a total of 104 matches, which is a significant increase from the 64 that were played in Qatar.
United States: complete list of World Cup 2026 sites, with their maximum capacities
SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles. 70,000 people can be accommodated.
MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. Storage space for 82,500
AT&T Stadium, Dallas. 80,000 units of capacity
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami. 65,000 units of capacity
Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium is the location. 76,000 people’s worth of capacity
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta. 71,000 people’s worth of capacity
Gillette Stadium, Boston. 65,000 units of capacity
NRG Stadium, Houston. 72,000 individuals can fit in here.
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia. The capacity is 67,000
Levi’s Stadium may be found in the Bay Area in San Francisco. 68,000 units of capacity
Lumen Field, Seattle. 72,000 individuals can fit in here.
MEXICO
Azteca Stadium, in the city of Mexico. Storage space for 87,000
Estadio Akron, Guadalajara. With a capacity of 46,000
Estadio BBVA, Monterrey. The capacity is 51,000.
CANADA
BMO Field is located in Toronto. 30,000 units of capacity
BC Place, Vancouver. 54,000 units of capacity
What will the experience of travel be like?
Moving participants, teams, and spectators from one location to another is likely to be the most difficult logistical challenge. Some of the stadiums inside the United States, as well as those in Canada and Mexico, are around 5,000 kilometres apart from one another. Fifa President Gianni Infantino has previously said that the governing body was considering putting teams in regional “clusters” to reduce the amount of time spent travelling.
Even with certain systems in place, the 2026 World Cup is likely to be a huge challenge not only for the teams and travelling fans, but also for the viewing public, as the American time zone is likely to prove to be a stumbling block for the main football markets. Not only will this be a challenge for the teams and travelling fans, but it is also likely to be a challenge for the viewing public.