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2026 by the numbers — the World Cup in statistics
💡 The 2026 World Cup: 48 teams, 104 matches, 16 cities, 3 countries, 39 days — the biggest and most dramatic edition in history.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest in history, and the numbers tell the story. 48 teams from 6 confederations are competing across 104 matches in 16 cities spread across 3 countries (USA, Mexico, and Canada). The tournament runs for 39 days, making it a week longer than previous editions.
The format is brand new: 12 groups of 4 teams, with the top 2 from each group plus the 8 best third-placed teams advancing to a Round of 32 — an extra knockout round that didn't exist before. That means 32 of the 48 teams keep playing after the group stage, giving smaller nations a real chance to make history.
It's the first World Cup hosted by three countries simultaneously, with the USA hosting 78 of the 104 matches across 11 cities, Mexico contributing 3 cities and 13 matches, and Canada adding 2 cities and 13 matches. The biggest stadium in use is MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (capacity 82,500), while Mexico's Estadio Azteca is the only stadium to host World Cup matches in three different tournaments (1970, 1986, 2026).