The World Cup is here! 48 teams, 48 questions answered (yes, really!)
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- World Cup begins on Thursday, June 11, 2026, with Mexico vs South Africa and an opening ceremony 90 minutes earlier.
- New Jersey hosts the World Cup final on July 19, 2026, with an 8 pm BST kick‑off.
- USA is one of three host nations for the 2026 World Cup, sharing matches with Canada (2 stadiums) and Mexico (3 stadiums) across 16 venues total.
- World Cup expands to 48 teams, organized into 12 groups of four, with the top two and the eight best third‑placed teams advancing to a 32‑team knockout stage.
- Cape Verde joins three other debutants—Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan—marking the most first‑time qualifiers in a tournament since 2006.
Why it matters: Fans and host economies gain from a larger, more diverse tournament and extra knockout round, while traditional powers like Italy and Greece miss out, shifting global football exposure.
