The tournament is set: 48 teams, games nearly every day between June 11 and July 19, and the world’s top sport competition returns to North America for the first time since 1994. Whether you are an avid follower of soccer (hereafter football) or have never watched a match in your life, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be a captivating sporting event that you absolutely do not want to miss out on. So, here’s what you need to know going into the summer: how does the competition work, how can you keep up with it, which matches are worth watching, who are potential underdogs, and which countries seem poised to win it all?
Every four years, the global football association FIFA convenes the World Cup in the country that bid for hosting privileges many years prior, most recently Qatar. This time around, Canada, the U.S., and Mexico are sharing hosting privileges, with most matches (including the final) occurring in the U.S. New for 2026 is the expansion from 32 to 48 countries, marking this World Cup as the largest yet in terms of participation and matches to be played, with 104 total.
All countries will begin in 12 groups of four; in the group stage of the tournament, countries will play three group stage matches (for a combined 72 across the tournament) with the top two from each group moving on to the knockout stages of the tournament. The knockout stage begins with a round of 32 and follows singular elimination for the remainder of the tournament — into a round of 16, then quarterfinals, semifinals, and capped off by bronze and final matches.
Beyond the logistics, there are some incredible games awaiting us. Without going into too much fine detail, here are some country matchups to watch for in the group stages: in Group C, games between Brazil, Morocco, and Scotland; in Group F, games between Sweden, Japan, and the Netherlands; in Group I, games between France, Norway, and Senegal; and in Group L, games between Croatia, England, and Ghana. Each of these groups will see storied, tournament-proven squads fighting for those two knockout stage spots, leaving these matches to be all but certain spectacles.
Favorited to reach the finals are: Spain, France, Argentina, England, Senegal, Germany, Brazil, Portugal, and the Netherlands. The 2022 World Cup final saw a historic battle between two-time World Cup winners France and two-time World Cup winners Argentina; after a 3–3 draw and penalty shootout, Argentina emerged victorious for their third World Cup title. A rematch between these two sides — which currently boast some of the strongest squads in the world — will be cinema in the making. Beyond these rivals, Spain recently bested Germany in the quarters and England in the 2024 UEFA Euro final), but fell narrowly to Portugal on penalties in the 2025 UEFA Nations League final. Senegal and Morocco’s tight AFCON final, which initially saw Senegal win, but with the CAF awarding Morocco the win nearly three months later. The Netherlands and Brazil have, on paper, incredibly strong squads with players hailing from the best leagues in the world, and it’s no doubt they can emerge from their group stages unscathed. To anyone wondering if the U.S. men’s national team stands a chance, though the team has had standout players recently, the squad has a long way to go to stardom.
The 2026 World Cup will also mark the end of a long, unwelcome tournament hiatus for many countries, and, for a few, their first-ever World Cup. Countries returning to the competition for the first time include Haiti making their first appearance since 1974; Iraq making their first appearance since 1986; Norway and Scotland making their first appearances since 1998; Türkiye making their first appearance since 2002 is Türkiye; and Czechia making their first appearance since 2006. Competing for the first time are Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cabo Verde, and Curaçao. Of these countries, Norway and Scotland boast exceptionally strong squads this time around — no doubt due to scoring stars Erling Haaland and Scott McTominay, respectively — and seem to be likely victorious underdogs. Other countries to watch for that have done well in the past and may surprise again are Egypt, Canada, Belgium, and Croatia.
When June hits, it will be time to hit up your local pub and watch some matches with fellow football fans. If you were lucky enough to get tickets to a match, consider yourself blessed. But whether or not you decide to support a country, it’s a sporting event like no other that you absolutely do not want to miss out on.
