In less than a month, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will bring together nations, rivalries, and millions of fans across three countries. The USA will host the international event for the second time. The first time was in 1994, when Brazil won.
The World Cup will kick off on June 11 when Mexico hosts South Africa in Mexico City. As usual, the three host nations, Canada, the USA, and Mexico, will automatically qualify, and four nations will make their World Cup debuts: Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan.
This will be the biggest World Cup ever, with a new 48-team format set to play a record 104 matches spread out across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. With this format, all teams are guaranteed three matches in the group stage of the tournament, and teams are assigned to 12 different four-team groups.
The top two successful teams from each group will advance, along with the eight best third-place teams. Teams that finish fourth in their groups will be eliminated. This leaves 32 teams to compete in a single-elimination tournament.
What to Expect for Newcomers
With the World Cup coming to the USA for the second time, many club football fans outside the country have doubts about whether it will reach its full potential.
Some concerns include the possibility that not every match will sell out and that the atmosphere might not match what fans are used to in European club football, such as in the Premier League or La Liga. Not only does the atmosphere play a role, but the high cost of tickets will make U.S fans think twice about coming out to the games.
Official resale tickets for the final game exceed $10,000, with some even going over $2 million, while premium seats for other rounds after the group stage are priced between $1,000- $10,000. The most affordable round is the group stages at the start of the tournament, with some tickets being $200 dollars or under.
Eleven cities will be hosting the tournament, and a few major cities that stand out are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York.
For the younger audience, this will definitely be the best experience to see the World Cup occur on U.S soil for an event that happens every four years and probably won’t come back to the U.S for the next 20 years again.
This year’s World Cup will leave the casual 32-team format and take the competition to 48 teams instead. According to FIFA, 12 groups of four were chosen over the option of 16 groups with three teams because team and fan experience, player welfare, and sporting integrity were the reasons for this change.
The End of an Era Leads to the Start of a New Era
With longtime stars like Messi, who won the last World Cup, Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, and Son Heung-Min, this could be the last time we see them ride for their country in the World Cup. These legends have all brought magic and skills galore to the World Cup, but this year, we will definitely see some tears on the pitch.
Messi has his medal with Argentina and has been playing in the MLS for the past few years, showing that he is comfortable with his career status. At the same time, CR7, aka Ronaldo, has already cried, dealing with unfortunate results with his Portugal team at every World Cup. Both Ronaldo and Messi fan bases still fight over the GOAT debate, and most people think Messi has won that discussion with his World Cup accomplishment.
Meanwhile, Brazil, a nation with a successful history at the World Cup, has earned 5 titles since 1958. They’ve had a stacked lineup with skillful players, but dribbling can’t always take you to the finals.
New Stars to Rise
Brazil’s main star, Neymar Jr., has been dealing with a lot of knee injuries and will most likely miss this year’s tournament.
For years, Neymar has been the golden boy for his nation and is mostly known for crazy dribbling moves on the pitch that make it hard for defenders to keep up with his speed. With upcoming stars like Vinicius Jr and Raphina, Brazil can still make their presence felt in the tournament and shock the world as they usually do.
The future of international football looks bright thanks to young star Lamine Yamal. At just 18 years old, he has been setting records with Barcelona since he was 16. He will be representing Spain in the upcoming World Cup. Despite suffering a hamstring injury in late April, Yamal is expected to participate. This past club season, he recorded 27 goals and assists combined.
While still in his early twenties, Jude Bellingham has already made a name for himself among the football elites. Bellingham’s nice technique, brilliance on the field, and professional composure make him the powerful leader that the England national team needs to succeed as they come closer every World Cup to claiming the gold.
Top Nations to Keep an Eye on in the 2026 World Cup
1. Spain
With the positive hopes of Yamal being back healthy just in time for Spain’s first matchup against Cape Verde on June 15, Spain is a top contender to take the crown this year.
The only thing to slow Yamal down will be his match rhythm after being out for a month. Spain is much stronger with him, but still can succeed with the strength of their midfield, with players like Rodri and Pedri.
2. England
With England’s strength on the attack side, they have many weapons and one of the best strikers in football, Harry Kane.
Coach Thomas Tuchel has sometimes chosen Morgan Rogers for his all-around play instead of Bellingham in the No.10 role. He also still needs to find the best way to rotate players like Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka during a tough schedule.
This England team is young and has been waiting 60 years to strike gold, and this can potentially be their turnaround point in history.
3. Argentina
The defending World Cup champions are a status that holds you at a high, but comes with a challenge to repeat and a massive responsibility. With a team that has a clear identity and can merge its talents well, this is something rare for an international football team.
Messi will once again return, and his presence provides more gain to retain the trophy, something no team has achieved in over 60 years. This will be Messi’s sixth World Cup appearance, breaking the record for most appearances in a World Cup.
Weaknesses for Argentina are the depth they lack in certain positions and some injuries within their defense. On the attack side, they rely heavily on two world-class strikers: Àlvarez and Martínez.
4. France
The 2018 World Cup winners and the 2nd-place team of the 2022 World Cup, France, have another shot at winning.
Only Oliver Giroud (57) has scored more than Mbappe’s 56 goals for France, with the Real Madrid forward expected to be captain for his country despite recent struggles with a thigh injury. Mbappe has always played at a world-class level in the World Cup.
Dembele scored 35 goals and won the Champions League with PSG last season and became the second French player this century to win the Ballon d’Or, but hasn’t scored in a World Cup despite appearing in the past two tournaments.
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