The FIFA World Cup has captured global attention, bringing unparalleled excitement to fans everywhere. For the first time in its nearly 100-year history, the world's most prestigious football tournament is being jointly hosted by three nations: Mexico, Canada and the United States.
Kicking off in Mexico City on June 11 and concluding with the final in New Jersey on July 19, this edition marks a historic shift for the sport. If you are new to the beautiful game, here is what you need to know.
An Expanded Format
The World Cup is held every four years, but the 2026 tournament is the largest ever. A record 48 countries are competing and divided into 12 groups of four.
During the group stage teams will earn points based on their performance: Win: 3 points, Draw (Tie): 1 point, Loss: 0 points.
The top two teams from each group automatically advance to the first knockout phase, known as the Round of 32. The remaining eight spots are filled by the third-place teams with the best overall records. Once the knockout stage begins with 16 teams are eliminated in the first round.
Match Rules and Timings
A standard football match lasts 90 minutes, divided into two 45-minute halves with a 15-minute break in between. The game clock runs continuously without pausing for stoppages. Instead, referees add "stoppage time" at the end of each half to compensate for injuries, delays and mandatory water breaks introduced by FIFA to manage the summer heat.
In the group stage, matches can end in a draw. However, during the knockout phase, every game must have a winner. If a knockout match is tied after 90 minutes, an extra 30 minutes is played. If the score remains level, the winner is decided by a dramatic penalty shootout.
Host Cities
The matches are spread across 16 major cities in North America:
Mexico: Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City
Canada: Toronto and Vancouver
United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle
