Expanded tournament format introduces 32-team knockout stage for first time in history.
Image:ESPN
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams for the first time, competing across 12 groups in a revamped format hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Each group contains four teams, with the top two from each group and eight best third-placed teams advancing to a round of 32.
The tournament kicks off on June 11 and will introduce a new expanded knockout structure, replacing the traditional round of 16.
Group Stage Line-up
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia
Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
The expanded format is expected to increase the number of matches and bring more nations into the knockout stage race.
