Looking Ahead to the 2026 Soccer World Cup

The basketball and hockey seasons might be gearing up for the run to the playoffs and the change in weather has heralded the start of Spring Training for baseball, but there is another major sports event coming up soon that the entire country can get behind. Soccer might not have always been the most popular sport in the US but it has elite status almost everywhere else – and the biggest event in soccer is coming here next summer.

The FIFA World Cup has been the most prestigious international soccer event since the 1930s and the US, along with Mexico and Canada, is getting ready to host the occasion in 2026. You will, no doubt, be hearing a lot more about it in the months to come. But we thought we would provide an explainer now for those of you who might not be avid soccer fans yet.

The eyes of the world will be on the US next year, as the best soccer players in the world converge to represent their national teams. For over a month, it will be the biggest sports story on the planet and even Alabama betting apps will be offering customers the chance to make their own predictions on the outcome. So, here is all you need to know about the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Where and When?

The last World Cup finals were moved to the end of the calendar year to avoid the very high temperatures in Qatar. However, there is no plan to reschedule the 2026 edition, even though we all know that it can get quite warm in the summer months in parts of the US, Canada, and Mexico. Safety measures for athletes and fans have already been discussed and FIFA is adamant that next summer will be the right time.

The tournament is scheduled from June 11 to July 19, slightly longer than the month-long event that the soccer world has experienced in the past. All the venues have already been decided, with the majority of the games – including the World Cup final – taking place in the US.

There will be 12 groups of four nations, split into three regions to avoid any unfair advantage for teams that don’t have to travel too far between games. Two of the host cities are in Canada, with three in Mexico. The remaining 11 are in the US, with major cities on both coasts represented, along with some traditional soccer cities in the middle of the country.

Who Will Be Playing?

At the time of writing the only nations assured of a place at the 2026 World Cup are the three host teams. The US, Canada, and Mexico all get a place by virtue of staging the competition, while the rest of the world is still battling it out to be involved. There are soccer confederations for Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and the Americas – and all of them will be represented next summer.

There are sometimes surprises during the qualifying stages, with many of the confederations not dominated by the traditional powerhouses as they used to be. That being said, it would be a huge shock if the likes of Argentina, Brazil, England, or Spain did not make it to the World Cup next year.

The qualifying phase actually began in September 2023 but the final line-up will not be known until the end of March next year. Different confederations have different formats – and there is also a playoff round for a number of nations who will play against teams from other confederations in a final chance to make it to the finals.

Biggest Ever

One of the reasons for the extended qualifying phase is that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest ever. For the first time, the tournament will welcome 48 nations – up from the 32 that have competed at the last seven editions. Although there has been some criticism of the move to expand yet further, the new format does give “smaller” soccer nations a better chance of a place at a finals, something that had been an issue in the past.

Obviously, the expanded format made it necessary for the host – or hosts – to have the infrastructure needed for such a grand tournament. Qatar built new stadiums for its World Cup in 2022 and Saudi Arabia is doing the same in time for its hosting in 2034. All of the US, Canada, and Mexico have a long history of top-level sports and major events, so all of the stadiums are already in place. Some are soccer-specific but there are some NFL stadiums being used next year as well.

Who Will Win?

We mentioned those sports betting apps earlier and many fans – new and old – will be thinking that the most important question about the 2026 soccer World Cup is “Who will win?” Although there are always favorites when it comes to these types of tournaments, it does seem as though this could be one of the most open World Cup finals in recent history.

Part of the reason for that is the expanded format. But there is also no one soccer super-power at the moment, as there has been in the past. Mexico, Canada, and especially the US, will all benefit from playing on home soil, giving them an extra edge. Argentina, Brazil, England, France, and Spain will also be expected to do well.

There has never been a World Cup winner from Asia, Africa, or Oceania – but there has also never been a World Cup like this before. Competition will be fierce but, whoever ends up lifting the famous trophy, Americans, Canadians, and Mexicans – as well as visitors from across the globe – are sure to witness one of the greatest-ever soccer tournaments next summer.