FIFA World Cup 2026
11 June – 19 July 2026 · USA, Canada and Mexico · completed
The first World Cup with 48 teams, the first shared by three host nations, and the first to pass a hundred matches. Spain beat Argentina 1–0 a.e.t. in the final on 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Final
Spain1–0Argentina
Semi-finals
France0–2Spain
England1–2ArgentinaThird-place play-off
France4–6EnglandHow the tournament worked
Forty-eight teams were drawn into twelve groups of four. The top two from each group went through along with the eight best third-placed sides, which made thirty-two qualifiers and added a Round of 32 that no previous World Cup had needed. From there it was straight knockout: sixteen ties, then eight, four, two, and the final.
The expanded format was criticised in advance for diluting the group stage, and the group results bear some of that out: a third-place finish was often enough to survive. The knockout rounds were another matter. Five ties went to extra time and four were settled on penalties, three of those in the Round of 32 alone.
What happened
The final was goalless after ninety minutes. Spain settled it in extra time, which made for a cautious end to a tournament that had not been cautious anywhere else.
The third-place play-off was the clearest example of that. England were four goals up on France at half time and won 6–4, ten goals inside ninety minutes and the highest-scoring match of the tournament. The only game that came close was Germany's 7–1 against Curaçao in the group stage.
This section from here
The 2026 tournament is finished and these pages are a record of it, not a preview. Qualifying for 2030 begins in 2027 and will be covered here as it starts. The leagues on this site are in season now, with live tables and fixtures under competitions.