2026 World Cup

FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada

There 2026 FIFA World Cup promises to be a historic tournament, with a new 48-team format, une première dans l’histoire de la compétition. Voici tout ce qu’il faut savoir sur le format, la répartition des places, les équipes qualifiées et le calendrier de la compétition que tout le monde attend.

Compte à rebours avant le premier match

Le match d’ouverture qui opposera le Mexique à … réponse le 5 décembre !

Opening match Mexico v South Africa

Les 12 groupes de 4 équipes

(32 équipes passeront en 16ème de finale)

 Group A

 Group B

 Group C

 Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

 Group H

Group I

Group J

Group K

Group L

2026 World Cup – Edition of Superlatives

At the start, 23 cities spread over 4,000 kilometers across the three countries had applied to host the 2026 World Cup matches: 17 in the United States, 3 in Canada and 3 in Mexico. Among them, 16 cities were subsequently selected by FIFA in 2021.

In July 2021, the number of candidate cities was reduced to 22 after the withdrawal from Montreal.

Finally, the June 17, 2022, FIFA officially announces the 16 host cities : 2 in Canada, 11 in the United States and 3 in Mexico.

Site Officiel de l’événement

Infos sur les villes hôtes, stades et organisation

2026 World Cup FIFA World Ranking 2026

Riyad Mahrez

Il est né en France. Il aurait pu porter le maillot bleu…

Tournament Format

Group stage

The 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups of 4 teams.

  • THE first two of each group will qualify for the knockout stage.
  • THE eight best thirds will also join this phase.

In total, 32 teams will advance to the round of 16, which will be played in knockout matches until the final.

Distribution of places by confederation

The distribution of places for the 2026 World Cup is as follows:

  • UEFA (Europe) : 16 places (out of 55 teams in total)
  • CAF (Africa) : 9 places (54)
  • AFC (Asia) : 8 seats (47)
  • CONCACAF (North, Central America and the Caribbean) : 6 seats (35)
  • CONMEBOL (South America) : 6 places (10)
  • OFC (Oceania) : 1 place (11)
  • Pays hôtes qualifiés d’office (Canada, États-Unis, Mexique) : 3 places

A intercontinental play-off tournament will award the last two places, allowing teams from different confederations to qualify.

Teams already qualified

To date, some teams have already confirmed their participation in the 2026 World Cup:

  • Host countries : Canada, United States, Mexico
  • Amérique du Nord: Haïti, Panama, Curaçao
  • South America Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay.
  • Asia Japan, Iran, South Korea, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia.
  • Oceania : New Zealand
  • Africa : Maroc, Tunisie, Égypte 🇪🇬, Algérie, Cap-Vert, Afrique du Sud, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sénégal
  • Europe: Angleterre, Allemagne, Espagne, France, Belgique, Suisse, Pays-Bas, Ecosse, Portugal, Autriche, Croatie, Norvège,

The other places will be allocated as the qualifiers progress in each confederation.

Key dates

  • Group stage : June 11 – July 19, 2026
  • Knockout stage : From July 20, 2026

The 2026 World Cup is already shaping up to be a spectacular tournament, with more teams and more matches, offering a unique opportunity for emerging nations to shine on the world stage.

Switzerland's World Cup journey

Switzerland has never won the FIFA World Cup, but it has made history on several occasions. Its best performance remains in 1954, when it reached the semi-finals on home soil. The Swiss have also reached the quarter-finals several times, notably in 1934, 1938, and again in 1954.

  • 1954 : Semi-final (best historical result)
  • 1934, 1938 : Quarter-final
  • 2018, 2014, 2006 : Round of 16
  • 2010 : Elimination in the first roundKey facts

Key facts

Switzerland counts 12 participations in the World Cup finals. His nickname, the Nati, is derived from German National team, which means "national team". This name is now widely used to refer to the Swiss national football team.

Swiss football team Wikipedia

World Cup on suisse-blog.ch