This edition of the FIFA World Cup will be the biggest ever with 48 teams taking part across three host countries, where 16 stadiums will stage the record 104 matches over the 39-day event.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the biggest edition of the tournament yet. FIFA has expanded the competition from 32 teams to 48, increasing the number of groups in the first stage and adding a new Round of 32 in the knockout phase.
This is the first expansion since the tournament grew from 24 to 32 teams in 1998. It will also be only the second World Cup to be hosted by multiple countries, after Japan and South Korea co-hosted the 2002 edition.
The United States will host the majority of the matches, with 11 venues staging 78 games, including all quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Mexico will host 13 matches, including the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on June 11. Canada will also host 13 games, starting with Canada’s match against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12.
Here are some key numbers and records to watch during the 2026 World Cup:
1,248 players
A record 1,248 players have been selected from 449 clubs across 71 countries. Of them, 357 have previously played in a World Cup, while 891 will be making their debut.
England have the highest number of players representing clubs based in the country, with 200. Germany is next with 109, followed by France and Spain with 86 each. Saudi Arabia have 49 players, while Major League Soccer have a record 44 active players in the tournament.
At club level, Manchester City have the most representatives with 19 players. Bayern Munich follows with 18, while Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal have 16 each. Barcelona have 15 players in the tournament.
226 international appearances
Cristiano Ronaldo enters the tournament with 226 international caps, the most by any men’s player in history. He is set to become one of only two players, alongside Lionel Messi, to play in six World Cups.
Ronaldo is also the only player to have scored in five different World Cups, with eight goals in 22 matches.
Messi holds the record for the most World Cup appearances with 26 matches. Two more international appearances will take him past the 200-cap mark. Croatia’s Luka Modric is also close to reaching that milestone.
Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has been named in a World Cup squad for the sixth time, although he did not play in the 2006 and 2010 editions.
16 World Cup goals
Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup record of 16 goals could come under threat. Messi begins the tournament with 13 World Cup goals, while Brazil legend Ronaldo has 15 and Germany’s Gerd Muller scored 14.
France star Kylian Mbappe is also within striking distance after scoring 12 goals across the last two World Cups.
8 World Cup winners
Only eight nations have ever won the World Cup. Brazil leads the way with five titles.
In the last 11 tournaments, only France (1998) and Spain (2010) have become first-time champions.
2 successful title defences
Only two teams have successfully defended their World Cup crown. Brazil won back-to-back titles in 1958 and 1962, while Italy achieved the feat in 1934 and 1938.
France came close in 2022 but lost the final to Argentina.
6 defending champions eliminated early
Six defending champions have failed to get out of the group stage, including three in the last four World Cups. Italy (2010), Spain (2014) and Germany (2018) all suffered early exits.
3 straight finals?
France will aim to become only the third nation to reach three consecutive World Cup finals. They won the title in 2018 and finished runners-up in 2022.
West Germany reached three straight finals between 1982 and 1990, while Brazil achieved the feat between 1994 and 2002.
23 consecutive appearances
Brazil remain the only country to have played in every World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1930.
The five-time champions also hold records for most wins (76), most goals scored (237) and best goal difference (+129). Germany ranks second in all three categories.
4 debutants
Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan will make their World Cup debuts in 2026, taking the total number of nations to have played at the tournament to 84.
7 matches without a win
Egypt have played seven World Cup matches without recording a victory. They will look to end that run when they face Belgium on June 15.
Only Honduras, with nine matches without a win, have a longer such streak, though they failed to qualify for this tournament.
2,720 goals and counting
A total of 2,720 goals have been scored in 964 matches across the first 22 World Cups.
With 104 matches scheduled in 2026, the record of 172 goals scored at the 2022 World Cup is expected to be surpassed.
25-year age gap
There is a gap of more than 25 years between the oldest and youngest players in the tournament.
Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon will be 43 years old when the competition begins, while Mexico teenager Gilbert Mora will be just 17.
