World Cup 2026 FAQ

The tournament runs from Thursday 11 June 2026 to Sunday 19 July 2026 — 39 days from the opening match to the final.

Across three host nations: the United States (11 cities), Canada (2 cities) and Mexico (3 cities) — 16 host cities in total.

48 teams, expanded from the 32 used between 1998 and 2022. They are drawn into 12 groups of four.

Each team plays three group matches. The top two from every group plus the eight best third-placed teams advance to a Round of 32. From there it's straight knockout: R32, R16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place playoff and final. 104 matches in total.

Points first, then goal difference, then goals scored. If still tied: head-to-head points → head-to-head goal difference → head-to-head goals → fair-play points → drawing of lots.

The final is on Sunday 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, near New York City.

Yes. VAR (Video Assistant Referee) was introduced at the 2018 World Cup and is used to review goals, penalties, direct red cards and cases of mistaken identity.

Each team can make up to five substitutions across three on-field windows, plus a separate concussion substitution if needed. In knockout matches that go to extra time, a sixth substitution is permitted in extra time.

Broadcast rights vary by country. We list the official free-to-air and pay-TV broadcaster in your country on our How to Watch page. Many matches are also shown on streaming services.

Three: Maple the moose (Canada), Zayu the jaguar (Mexico) and Clutch the bald eagle (United States) — one per host nation. They were unveiled in September 2025.

No. The predictions are statistical estimates from a public Elo + Poisson model, generated for editorial and entertainment purposes. They are not betting advice.

No. Mundialoop is an independent, free, ad-supported site. Data comes from public sources. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Sixteen cities across three countries. In the United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. In Canada: Toronto and Vancouver. In Mexico: Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.

The tournament opens on 11 June 2026 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with Mexico playing the first game. The Azteca becomes the first stadium to host matches at three different World Cups (1970, 1986 and 2026).

Tickets are sold exclusively through FIFA's official channels at FIFA.com — never through Mundialoop, which sells nothing. Prices vary widely by match and category, with knockout and final tickets the most expensive. Always buy from official sources to avoid scams; resale through unofficial sites carries real risk.

It depends on your nationality. Each host country — the United States, Canada and Mexico — controls its own entry rules, so attending matches in more than one country may require more than one visa or travel authorisation. Check the official requirements for every country you plan to visit well in advance, as processing can take time.

FIFA distributes a large prize pool that grows each cycle. At the 2022 World Cup the total was around US$440 million, with roughly US$42 million to the champions. The 2026 pool is expected to be larger given the bigger field; FIFA confirms the exact figures closer to the tournament. See our Prize money page for the latest.

The three hosts — the United States, Canada and Mexico — qualified automatically. The remaining 45 places were decided through each confederation's qualifying competition, with the final two spots settled by a six-team intercontinental play-off tournament.

Squads are expected to be 26 players, as they were in 2022, with FIFA confirming the exact figure before the tournament. A larger squad helps teams cope with the demands of a longer competition, including the extra knockout round added for the 48-team format.

Group matches can end level, but every knockout tie must produce a winner. If the score is level after 90 minutes, two 15-minute periods of extra time are played; if it is still level, the match is decided by a penalty shoot-out. Teams may use a sixth substitute during extra time.

The 2026 World Cup uses VAR (Video Assistant Referee) to review goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity, goal-line technology to confirm whether the ball has crossed the line, and semi-automated offside technology to help officials make faster, more accurate offside calls.

The top two teams in each of the 12 groups, plus the eight best third-placed teams, advance to a Round of 32. Each qualifying position is mapped to a predetermined slot in the bracket, which then runs as single-elimination through the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. Our Bracket page fills in automatically as results come in.

Our predictions come from a statistical model: team Elo ratings feed a Poisson goals model, which is then simulated thousands of times across the real 2026 bracket. The percentages are estimates for editorial and entertainment purposes, not betting advice. Our guide "How we predict the World Cup" explains the method in plain language.

Yes — every page is free and you never need an account. The site is supported by display advertising, which lets us keep all the scores, predictions, guides and tools open to everyone. We sell no tickets, merchandise or data.

La Polla is our free prediction game. You forecast match results, earn points for accuracy, and climb a global leaderboard — or create a private mini-league to play against friends and family. It's free to join with an account, and it's just for fun and bragging rights.

Yes. Match times across the site are shown in your local time zone by default, with a toggle so you can switch how times are displayed. With venues spread across North American time zones, this makes it easy to see exactly when each match starts where you are.