Sunday, June 7, 2026 | 5:51 p.m.
This yr’s version of the World Cup would be the largest ever with an expanded field of 48 teams, three host international locations and 16 stadiums staging the report 104 matches over the 39-day event.
The event being held in the USA, Canada and Mexico is the primary since FIFA expanded the sector from 32 groups to 48, including 4 extra teams within the preliminary stage and a brand new spherical of 32 within the knockout portion.
The World Cup final expanded for the 1998 event with the final seven editions that includes 32 groups and 64 video games. This additionally marks simply the second time that the event can be performed in a number of international locations with Japan and South Korea sharing the 2002 version.
There can be 11 websites in the USA, with three in Mexico and two in Canada. Mexico will host 13 matches, together with the opener in Mexico Metropolis on June 11 between the host group and South Africa and three within the knockout rounds.
Canada will also have 13 matches with the primary coming between the hosts and Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto and three extra within the knockout spherical.
The remaining 78 can be within the U.S. beginning when the Individuals tackle Paraguay on June 12 within the Los Angeles space, and together with all of the matches in teh quarterfinals, semifinals and the ultimate spherical at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Here is a have a look at another stats to observe through the 2026 World Cup:
1,248
There are a report 1,248 players on the rosters coming from 449 home golf equipment in 71 international locations. There are 357 gamers with World Cup expertise, alomng with 891 first-timers.
England leads the way in which with 200 gamers on rosters who’re based mostly there at membership degree. Germany is second with 109, adopted by France (86), Spain (86), Italy (71) and Saudi Arabia (49). Main League Soccer can be represented by a report 44 lively gamers on the World Cup with 103 of the gamers having some expertise in MLS.
Manchester Metropolis of the Premier League has essentially the most gamers of any membership with a report of 19, adopted by Bayern Munich with 18, Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal 16 and Barcelona with 15.
226
Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo leads all gamers within the event with 226 caps — essentially the most ever by a single males’s participant — as he’s set to affix Argentina’s Lionel Messi as the one gamers to seem in six World Cups.
Ronaldo is the one participant to attain in 5 World Cups with eight objectives in his 22 matches.
Messi has essentially the most profession World Cup matches with 26 and desires two appearances to grow to be the third man with a minimum of 200 caps (Bader Al-Mutawa, Kuwait, additionally has extra 200 appearances in worldwide play). Croatia’s Luka Modric is three wanting becoming a member of that group.
Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa is on a World Cup roster for the sixth time however did not seem in a recreation in 2006 or 2010.
16
Miroslav Klose’s report of 16 profession objectives for Germany might jeopardy on this yr’s version. Messi comes into the event with 13 profession objectives, trailing solely Klose, Brazilian star Ronaldo (15) and Gerd Muller (14). France’s Kylian Mbappe can be in vary having scored 12 objectives mixed previously two tournaments
8
Solely eight international locations have gained the World Cup with six of these groups profitable a number of titles led by Brazil’s 5. The one first-time winners within the final 11 Cups got here in 1998 when France gained the primary of its two titles and in 2010 when Spain gained all of it.
2
Solely two international locations have repeated as champions with Pele main Brazil to titles in 1958 and ‘62, and Italy profitable it in 1934 and ’38. Three different defending champions made it to the title recreation, together with France 4 years in the past earlier than shedding to Argentina.
6
There have been six defending champions who did not make it out of the group stage, together with in three of the final 4 editions. France made it again to the ultimate in 2022 however Italy (2010), Spain (2014) and Germany (2018) all get eradicated earlier than the knockout rounds.
3
France will attempt to grow to be the third county to make it to a few straight finals after profitable it in 2018 and shedding in 2022. West Germany misplaced the ultimate in 1982 and ’86 earlier than beating Argentina in 1990. Brazil had wins in 1994 and 2002 round a title recreation loss to France in 1998.
23
Brazil is the one nation to seem in all 23 editions of the World Cup beginning in 1930 in Uruguay. The Brazilians additionally lead all international locations with 76 wins, 237 objectives and a plus-129 objective differential. Germany is subsequent in all three classes with 21 appearances, 232 objectives and a plus-102 objective differential, together with 10 appearances as West Germany earlier than reunification.
4
There are 4 international locations making their World Cup debuts with Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan the newcomers this time round. That can enhance the entire of nations to compete within the World Cup to 84 all-time.
7
Egypt has performed seven World Cup matches and not using a win. The Egyptians are 0-5-2 and can attempt to break by way of beginning June 15 in opposition to Belgium. The one nation with extra video games and no wins is Honduras with 9. Honduras did not qualify this yr.
2,720
There have been 2,720 objectives scored in 964 matches within the first 22 World Cups. With the extra 40 video games, the report of 172 objectives in a event set in Qatar in 2022 needs to be damaged. The report of 5.38 mixed objectives per recreation set in 1954 needs to be protected.
25
There may be greater than 25 years separating the oldest participant from the youngest. Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon can be 43 years and 162 days outdated on the primary day of the event, whereas Mexico’s Gilbert Mora can be 17 years, 240 days outdated.
