The 2026 World Cup has a new format, but what is it? Learn how the 2026 tournament is structured, how many teams and groups there are, and how it works.
A new format being introduced for the 2026 World Cup, which might feel a little unfamiliar to football fans who have watched previous editions of the world’s most prestigious tournament. This is especially true considering the previous system was in place for 24 years after being introduced in 1998, meaning that it’s likely fans will be used to the older set-up.
So, what exactly is the format of the 2026 World Cup?
Read on to understand how the new tournament structure works, the number of teams and groups, how the groups and knockout rounds work, and what the schedule looks like at this summer’s festival of football.
How many groups are there at the 2026 World Cup?
The new format of the 2026 World Cup contains 12 groups of four teams for the group stage, totalling 48 teams in the tournament. This means that there are 16 more teams than there were at the 2022 edition in Qatar, and it’s the first time that the World Cup has been expanded since 1998.
Who will progress from the World Cup group stage?
Within the 12 groups, teams will be able to qualify for the knockouts by finishing in various places. If teams come first or second in their respective groups, it will lead to automatic progression. The only other way teams can enter the round of 32 is by being one of the top eight third-placed teams.
Many of the favourites in the World Cup odds will be expected to progress into the knockout rounds, including England, France, Argentina and Spain. With more teams than ever before advancing past the group stage, it is very likely that the world’s biggest football nations will reach the latter stages, setting up some potentially huge clashes in the knockout rounds.
How are the best third-place teams determined?
To determine which third-place teams are the best, the standings are firstly decided by points and then followed by goal difference and goals scored. If none of these can separate the teams, then the fair-play record is taken into consideration. This looks at the number of yellow and red cards each side receives, with teams that have fewer bookings progressing through. If this is tied again, the team with a higher FIFA World Ranking will be chosen to go through – but resorting to this is extremely unlikely.
How do the World Cup knockout rounds work?
With a new and expanded tournament comes an extra knockout round that has never existed before – the round of 32. This brand-new round is the beginning of the knockouts, where it’s a single-elimination, meaning that every game is a must-win. If there’s no result after 90 minutes, there will be 30 minutes of extra time, followed by a penalty shootout.
The round of 32 contains 16 matches followed by the round of 16 with eight matches, the quarter-final with four matches, semi-final with two matches, third-place play-off with one match, and the final with one match as well.
What is the World Cup match schedule?
The match schedule for the World Cup has the group stage beginning on the 11th June, with the final set to take place on the 19th July. If you want to learn more, read our blog covering the entire 2026 World Cup match schedule!
World Cup 2026 format FAQs
When is the 2026 World Cup?
If you’re wondering when the World Cup is going to take place in 2026, it’ll run from Thursday 11 June until Friday 19 July, when the final will conclude the tournament.
Why has the World Cup been expanded?
After assessing sporting balance, FIFA expanded the 2026 World Cup format as they believed:
The quality could be maintained with more teams
They wanted more global representation
They wanted to support global football development by giving more nations a chance to participate
They believed there would be financial benefits
Where is the World Cup final being played?
The World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
How many matches will be played at the World Cup?
With 48 teams involved now, there will be a total of 104 games played at the 2026 World Cup.
