The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the largest in the tournament’s history, featuring 48 teams, 104 matches and three host countries across 39 days of competition.
Hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the event marks the first World Cup since FIFA expanded the field from 32 to 48 teams. The new format adds 12 more teams, four additional groups in the first round and a new round of 32 in the knockout stage.
The last expansion came in 1998, when the tournament grew from 24 to 32 teams. The 2026 edition is also only the second World Cup to be staged by multiple countries after Japan and South Korea co-hosted in 2002.
A total of 16 stadiums will host matches, including 11 venues in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada. Mexico and Canada will each stage 13 matches, while the remaining 78 games, including all quarterfinals, semifinals and the final, will be played in the United States.
Here are some key numbers behind the tournament:
1,248 players
A record 1,248 players from 449 clubs across 71 countries have been selected for the tournament. Of them, 357 have previous World Cup experience, while 891 will be making their debut.
England-based clubs provide the highest number of players with 200, followed by Germany (109), France (86), Spain (86), Italy (71) and Saudi Arabia (49).
At club level, Manchester City leads with 19 players in the tournament, ahead of Bayern Munich with 18. Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal each have 16 players, while Barcelona has 15.
226 international appearances
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo enters the tournament with a record 226 international caps. He and Lionel Messi are set to become the first players to appear in six World Cups.
Ronaldo remains the only player to have scored in five different World Cups and has netted eight goals in 22 World Cup matches.
Messi holds the record for most World Cup appearances with 26 matches, while Luka Modrić is closing in on 200 international appearances.
16 World Cup goals
The all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals, held by Miroslav Klose, could come under threat.
Messi has scored 13 World Cup goals, while France striker Kylian Mbappé already has 12 goals from the last two tournaments.
8 champions
Only eight countries have ever won the World Cup. Brazil leads with five titles, while Italy and Germany have four each.
The most recent first-time champions were France in 1998 and Spain in 2010.
2 successful title defenses
Only Brazil and Italy have successfully defended a World Cup title.
Brazil achieved the feat in 1958 and 1962, while Italy won back-to-back crowns in 1934 and 1938.
6 defending champions eliminated early
Six reigning champions have failed to advance beyond the group stage, including three in the last four tournaments.
Italy exited early in 2010, Spain in 2014 and Germany in 2018.
3 straight finals?
France will attempt to become only the third nation to reach three consecutive World Cup finals after winning in 2018 and finishing runner-up in 2022.
23 appearances for Brazil
Brazil national football team is the only nation to have appeared in every World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1930.
Brazil also leads all countries with 76 World Cup wins, 237 goals and a goal difference of +129.
4 debutants
Four nations will make their World Cup debut in 2026: Cape Verde national football team, Curaçao national football team, Jordan national football team and Uzbekistan national football team.
Their participation will raise the total number of countries that have played in the World Cup to 84.
7 matches without a win
Egypt national football team has played seven World Cup matches without recording a victory, with a record of two draws and five defeats.
Only Honduras has gone longer without a win, having played nine matches, but it did not qualify for this year's tournament.
2,720 goals
A total of 2,720 goals have been scored in 964 matches across the first 22 World Cups.
With 40 additional matches in 2026 compared with previous tournaments, the record of 172 goals scored at the 2022 World Cup is expected to be surpassed.
25-year age gap
The oldest player in the tournament is Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who will be 43 years old when the competition begins.
The youngest is Mexico midfielder Gilbert Mora, who is just 17, creating an age difference of more than 25 years between the oldest and youngest participants.