2026 FIFA World Cup

The World Cup expands from 32 to 48 teams in 2026. UEFA will have 16 teams (+3 vs 2022), CAF 10 (+5), AFC 9 (+3), CONCACAF 6 (+2), CONMEBOL 6 (+2) and OFC 1 (+1).

Of the 32 teams that played at the 2022 World Cup, 26 are back again in 2026 — including all six AFC teams from Qatar 2022 and nine of UEFA’s 13 representatives.

Mexico will become the first nation to host three men's World Cups. Their previous two hosting campaigns, in 1970 and 1986, both ended in the quarter-finals.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the oldest captain at the 2026 World Cup, leading Portugal at 41 years and 126 days.

Lionel Messi has scored in six of Argentina's last seven World Cup matches.

Lionel Messi enters his sixth World Cup with Argentina. Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Ochoa also made it to six editions, with the latter not appearing on each occasion.

Alphonso Davies is the youngest captain at the 2026 World Cup, leading Canada at 25 years and 221 days.

Sixteen PSG players can become the first Champions League-World Cup double winners since Raphaël Varane in 2018.

No World Cup debutant has won its opening match since Senegal beat France in 2002.

Cristiano Ronaldo is already the only player to score at five different World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022). A goal in 2026 would make him the first player in history to score at six separate World Cup tournaments.

Lionel Messi enters the 2026 World Cup on 13 career World Cup goals, three behind Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16. Kylian Mbappé starts on 12 goals and needs four to equal the record.

Kylian Mbappé has scored 12 World Cup goals: four in 2018 and eight in 2022, leaving him four short of Miroslav Klose’s all-time record.

Haiti end a 52-year wait for a World Cup appearance, the longest absence ended by any 2026 participant.

Curaçao will become the smallest nation by population ever to appear at a World Cup.

Iraq return to the World Cup after 40 years away, their first appearance since Mexico 1986.

Four nations are making their World Cup debut in 2026: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.

No World Cup debutant has reached the semi-finals since Croatia in 1998.

Austria, Norway and Scotland are all appearing at a World Cup for the first time since France 1998.

Mexico reached the quarter-finals in both previous World Cups they hosted, while the United States reached the Round of 16 in their only previous edition as hosts.

The previous two World Cups held in Mexico both kicked off at the Estadio Azteca. Mexico drew 0-0 with the Soviet Union in 1970, while Italy and Bulgaria drew 1-1 in the opening match of 1986.

Group I — France, Senegal, Norway and Iraq — has the strongest average FIFA ranking of any 2026 World Cup group.

Only 23 FIFA ranking places separate USA, Türkiye, Australia and Paraguay, making Group D the most balanced group.

Group B — Canada, Switzerland, Qatar and Bosnia & Herzegovina — has the weakest average FIFA ranking of any 2026 World Cup group.

Spain and Cape Verde create the largest FIFA-ranking gap of any 2026 World Cup group.

Cape Verde, Curaçao, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Uruguay are the six 2026 World Cup squads without a single player based at a club in their home country.

Bosnia & Herzegovina have more teenagers in their squad than any other team at the 2026 World Cup, with three players aged 19 or younger.

Dick Advocaat is the oldest coach at the 2026 World Cup, leading Curaçao at 78 years and 257 days.

Argentina is the most represented coaching nation at the 2026 World Cup, with six managers leading teams: Lionel Scaloni, Gustavo Alfaro, Sebastián Beccacece, Marcelo Bielsa, Néstor Lorenzo and Mauricio Pochettino.

Ivory Coast have the youngest squad at the 2026 World Cup, with an average age of 25.35.

Panama have the oldest squad at the 2026 World Cup.

The youngest and oldest players at the 2026 World Cup are separated by more than 25 years: Gilberto Mora and Craig Gordon.

Manchester City have more players at the 2026 World Cup than any other club with 19, ahead of Bayern Munich with 17 and Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain with 16 each.

Fourteen managers at the 2026 World Cup have previously coached at the tournament. Dick Advocaat, Marcelo Bielsa and Carlos Queiroz stand out: all are now managing a third different country at the World Cup.

Italy are absent from the World Cup, but Italian clubs still supply 71 players — more than any other league from a non-participating country. Croatia holds the most: seven.

Iran have 16 players aged 30 or older, more than any other squad at the 2026 World Cup.

Ecuador are the second youngest squad at the 2026 World Cup, with an average age of 25.58.

Ivory Coast (25.92 years) and Iran (30.46 years) are the youngest and oldest squads at the 2026 World Cup.

The lowest domestic tiers represented at the 2026 World Cup are England’s and Germany’s fifth tiers, through New Zealand’s Tommy Smith and Haiti’s Josué Duverger.

Canada and New Zealand both have players at domestic clubs, but none from their own domestic league system: Canada’s are in MLS, New Zealand’s in Australia’s A-League Men.

Julian Nagelsmann is the youngest coach at the 2026 World Cup, leading Germany at 38 years and 323 days.

The average squad age at the 2026 World Cup is almost identical to 2022 and slightly younger than 2018.

Only 11 players have won the European Cup/Champions League and the World Cup in the same year. Sixteen PSG players can join them in 2026, including five with France and four with Portugal.

Miroslav Klose is the all-time top scorer at the FIFA World Cup with 16 goals across all tournaments.

Brazil have won 76 matches at the FIFA World Cup, the most of any nation.

Brazil have scored 234 goals at the FIFA World Cup — more than any other nation.

The 1954 World Cup remains the highest-scoring edition by goals per game, averaging 5.31 goals across 26 matches.