Let the countdown begin: we are officially 364 days from the start of the 2026 World Cup.
This will be a World Cup without precedent, with three nations splitting hosting duties and 48 countries competing for the first time.
The United States, Mexico and Canada have secured their tournament places as co-hosts, but the rest of the field is slowly taking shape. Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Uzbekistan, South Korea and Jordan qualified in recent days, joining Iran, Japan, Argentina and New Zealand.
If you’re thinking Uzbekistan and Jordan do not scream traditional soccer powers, that's part of FIFA’s calculation. Several nations will make their first World Cup appearance in 2026 as the tournament expands to accommodate 16 extra countries, on top of the usual 32 entrants.
Let's dig into the major storylines one year out from the tournament.
So … how’s this going to work?
The format, and more specifically, how many teams would comprise each group, became a central talking point when FIFA President Gianni Infantino succeeded in his push to expand the tournament from 32 to 48 teams.
Expansion is not without recent precedent: 32 nations competed for the first time instead of the usual 24 in 1998. Instead of three-team groups, FIFA ultimately settled on 12 groups of four teams, with the top two qualifying for the newly required ‘Round of 32.’ There, they will be joined by the eight best third-place finishers from the group stage.
Is it a positive development that more countries will get a chance to qualify and compete for the World Cup? Initially, the answer seems to be yes, but a closer analysis must include the added workload an expanded tournament will put on players. The 2026 World Cup will require 104 games (up from the usual 64) and seven extra days to complete. This is on top of an already grueling club schedule that has come under criticism from leading players, including Spain’s Rodri, who have discussed a strike as a last resort to influence change.
One for the road
Fans (and haters) have been ready to usher Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo into retirement for a while, but this World Cup will probably be the last for both players.
Ronaldo (age 40) and Messi (37) have been linked at the hip since their ascendancy to the pinnacle of the sport. Now, instead of Ballon d'Or debates, the focus turns to how much longer they will play — and where.
Ronaldo’s two-year stint with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia wound down with little fanfare and he announced soon after that he wouldn’t be signing with a team for the upcoming Club World Cup in the United States. For Portugal, he remains captain and talisman.
Messi’s transition from life in Europe to Miami and Major League Soccer has proven more successful. Messi’s No. 10 Inter Miami jersey tops sales and the club has achieved success on the pitch while developing a global footprint. For Argentina, he remains everything.
Both are no longer at their peak though they remain capable of conjuring the impossible.
Generational flux
Departing legends create gaps. Thankfully, there is no shortage of young stars ready to fill them.
At 17, Spain’s Lamine Yamal has already shaken the sport’s foundations. After helping his club win the domestic treble over rivals Real Madrid, the Barcelona winger is a leading contender for this year’s Ballon d'Or. French attacker Désiré Doué (20) announced himself as one of the game’s most exciting talents on the road to Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League triumph. German midfielder Florian Wirtz (22) is on the cusp of a mega move to Liverpool after helping Bayer Leverkusen dethrone Bundesliga bullies Bayern Munich last season.
They aren’t alone. Jude Bellingham (21, England), Arda Güler (20, Turkey), Amad Diallo (22, Ivory Coast), Kendry Paez (18, Ecuador) and Claudio Echeverri (19, Argentina) are at different stages of their development, with Bellingham the most advanced. They comprise a group of players aged 23 and under that are ready to make their mark.
Choosing Cinderella
Soccer sickos, rejoice.
Previously, picking a Cinderella team at the World Cup was an exercise that, while fun in practice, inexplicably ended with a pundit (not me, I swear) choosing the likes of Morocco or Croatia to “surprise.”
While it would look prudent in the end, was it really bold to place the bedazzled slipper on a team that boasts excellent, well-known players and is in the top 30 of the FIFA rankings? I’ll let you answer that.
This time around is one for the dreamers. Thousands of words will be written on why Uzbekistan, led by Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov, are primed to shock the world.
Hosting duties
Three nations will split the games, but the United States will shoulder the bulk of the hosting load, including all matches after the Round of 16.
There will be a total of 78 games in the U.S., while Canada and Mexico will each host 13. Toronto and Vancouver will split those games played north of the border.
Toronto's matches:
— June 12, 2026: Group Stage (Canada’s opening match)
— June 17, 2026: Group Stage
— June 20, 2026: Group Stage
— June 23, 2026: Group Stage
— June 26, 2026: Group Stage
— July 2, 2026: Round of 32
Vancouver's matches:
— June 13, 2026: Group Stage
— June 18, 2026: Group Stage (Canada's second match)
— June 21, 2026: Group Stage
— June 24, 2026: Group Stage (Canada's third match)
— June 26, 2026: Group Stage
— July 2, 2026: Round of 32
— July 7, 2026: Round of 16
The United States has also introduced a travel ban for citizens from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Iran has already qualified for next year’s World Cup, but the ban includes an exemption for athletes, coaches, support staff and immediate family members. Fans hoping to travel from Iran for matches in the U.S., however, won’t be able to watch their team play.
Recently, the U.S. government established a special task force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the memorandum announcing the task force’s creation, the government states the tournament “presents an opportunity to showcase the Nation’s pride and hospitality while promoting economic growth and tourism through sport.”
Amid bans, declining tourist travel, an immigration crackdown in a host city, and anger over tariffs, something quite different could be on display.
The beautiful game, warts and all.
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