How will the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico work?
Bundesliga stars will be vying for the game's greatest honour at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. As well as being the first tournament to be hosted by three countries, the format for the next edition is changing with the number of participating teams expanding to 48. Here's an explainer of how the big event will work...
What is the 2026 World Cup?
The World Cup is the highest-profile event on the global football calendar. Taking place every four years in different host countries, it provides a major celebration of football and sees intense competition among many of the stars of the Bundesliga and other major leagues to win the World Cup for their national team and write their place in football history.
The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico and will take place from 11 June to 19 July 2026.
Who will take part?
It will be contested by national teams, with each country only able to select players that are born there or are otherwise eligible through family or citizenship grounds to represent them.
While every edition of the World Cup since 1998 has featured 32 teams, an expanded pool of 48 nations will compete for glory in 2026 for the first time. USA, Canada and Mexico will definitely be there as automatically qualifying hosts, but the remaining 45 spots will be decided in a qualifying process running until March 2026.
What is the format?
The qualifying process is organised by the six international football confederations for Asia (AFC), Africa (CAF), North and Central America (CONCACAF), South America (CONMEBOL), Oceania (OFC) and Europe (UEFA). There are a different number of qualifying spots available for each confederation.
The qualifying spots are distributed as follows:
- Europe: 16
- Africa: 9
- Asia: 8
- South America: 6
- North and Central America: 3 (in addition to the three automatically qualified hosts)
- Oceania: 1
There are an additional two qualifying spots available in an intercontinental play-off, which all confederations with the exception of Europe will send teams to.
As for the finals, a draw will allocate all 48 qualified teams into 12 groups of four for the World Cup group stage. Each team will play the other teams in their group in a round-robin format, with the top two teams in each group and the eight third-placed sides with the best records advancing to the round of 32 knockout stages.
From then on, it's a straight knockout all the way to the final (plus a third place play-off for the two sides that lose in the semi-finals), with each match going into extra-time and a penalty shootout, if required to determined a winner.
Where will the matches be played?
A total of 16 host cities have been chosen for the 2026 World Cup, which will be contested over a total of 104 matches. The opening match takes place at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and the final will be held in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The full list of host cities is as follows:
Canada
- Toronto
- Vancouver
Mexico
- Guadalajara
- Mexico City
- Monterrey
United States
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Dallas
- Houston
- Kansas City
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New Jersey (New York)
- Philadelphia
- San Francisco
- Seattle
Which Bundesliga stars will be in action?
As of 19 November 2025, 42 of the 48 teams have qualified for the tournament:
Co-hosts: Canada, Mexico, USA
AFC: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
CAF: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
CONCACAF: Curacao, Haiti, Panama
CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
OFC: New Zealand
UEFA: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Borussia Mönchengladbach's Joe Scally is among a contingent of American Bundesliga players hoping to represent hosts USA, while fellow hosts Canada are set to have their hopes carried by Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies.
Six goals in qualifying by Bayern strike sensation Harry Kane helped England to become the first European nation to qualify. The Three Lions were soon followed by France, with Michael Olise joining his teammate.
The final member of Bayern's terrific trio, Luis Díaz, should also be making an appearance at the tournament, having helped lead Colombia to qualification.
Algeria's five-strong Bundesliga contingent of Mohamed Amoura, Ramy Bensebaini, Farès Chaïbi, Ibrahim Maza and Badredine Bouanani booked their spot with eight wins in qualifying, before they were joined by RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande and Hoffenheim's Bazoumana Toure of the Ivory Coast. A Senegal side featuring Bayern summer signing Nicolas Jackson followed suit not long after.
Defending champions Argentina and talisman Lionel Messi could well call upon Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Exequiel Palacios in 2026, while St. Pauli's Australia midfielder Jackson Irvine will surely be looking at flights already.
Union Berlin defender Derrick Köhn wasn't part of Ghana's squad as they secured qualification under their former Dortmund, Mainz and Hannover midfielder-turned-coach Otto Addo, but he'll be hoping to grab a spot in the travelling party next summer, having made his debut in a friendly against a Japan.
That Blue Samurai squad features a host of Bundesliga World Cup hopefuls, including the likes of Ritsu Dōan and Kaishu Sano.
Bayern's Josip Stanišić, Hoffenheim's Andrej Kramarić, Augsburg's Kristijan Jakić, and Freiburg's Igor Matanović are part of Zlatko Dalić's Croatia squad which will travel stateside next summer.
Norway secured top spot in their group ahead of Italy, with Leipzig's Antonio Nusa and Dortmund's Julian Ryerson both enjoying excellent qualifying campaigns. Leverkusen goalkeeper Mark Flekken likewise did his part for the Netherlands as the Oranje clinched first place in their group.
Leipzig teenager Assan Ouédraogo rounded out a 6-0 Germany win over Slovakia as the four-time world champions topped Group A. He'll hope to travel as part of a team led by Bayern's Joshua Kimmich.
A number of other Bundesliga stars will be looking to lead their countries to Canada, Mexico and the USA in the coming days.
Who will win?
Germany are normally among the favourites at any tournament, and that will be especially true if they continue the strong development under Nagelsmann that saw them top Group A as well as their most recent UEFA Nations League section.
France and Argentina - 2022 finalists - will be difficult to beat, while European champions Spain, Thomas Tuchel's England and Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil are also among the nations expected to contend for the crown.
There is always the chance of a surprise package advancing far into the tournament, with USA and Mexico likely to be boosted by home advantage and their passionate fan bases.
We'll just have to sit back and watch all the action unfold in summer 2026!
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