The final of the Qatar World Cup, contested between Argentina and France, left any fan of good football overjoyed. No matter who you were cheering for, how could you not be satisfied with such an exciting match?
But the thrilling game this Sunday (18) left a taste for more. It’s no wonder that the World Cup is the most watched and prestigious sporting event on the planet. So, as soon as one ends, those who really love football are already thinking about the next one.
And do you know where the next World Cup will take place?
The United States, Mexico, and Canada are preparing to host the next World Cup in 2026. It will be the first time the event is held in three countries, and it will only be the second time the United States will be the host. Mexico will set a new record by hosting the event for the third time. More details, including locations for the opening and final matches, are still being determined.
In the meantime, check out the numbers that will make the next World Cup unique.
• It will be the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup, taking place in mid-2026.
• 1st time in history that three countries will host a World Cup
• 48 teams will participate in the 2026 World Cup (32 teams participated in Qatar)
• 80 matches will be played (16 more matches than the Qatar World Cup, where 64 matches were played)
• 11 host cities in the United States, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle
• 3 cities in Mexico: Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey
• 2 in Canada: Toronto and Vancouver
• 16 groups of three teams each: the top two teams from each group will advance to a knockout stage of 32 teams with the well-known “elimination rounds”
• 7 matches will be the maximum number of matches played by each finalist. There will be no increase in the number of matches compared to previous World Cups; this time there will be two matches in the group stage and five knockout matches
• Zero stadiums will be built for this edition of the World Cup.
• 92,967 fans will fit in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which has the largest capacity of the three countries.
• 1,267 is the number of days remaining until the start of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place between June 8 and July 3 (counting from this Monday, December 19).
Source: CNN