The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to commence on Thursday, June 11, and end on Sunday, July 19, across the three host countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States of America. It will be the 23rd edition of the tournament, but the first to feature 48 teams.
The previous 32-team structure, which ran from 1998-2022, began with a relatively straightforward group stage, consisting of eight different four-team groups, with the top two nations from each section advancing to the last-16 stage, and the remaining 16 sides eliminated.
However, the addition of 16 nations has resulted in four more four-team groups, with the top two sides in each of the 12 groups progressing to the round of 32 — an additional knockout round to accommodate the expansion. By that calculation, 24 teams that rank first and second in each group will qualify, but since there is an expansion, there is a need to have 12 additional nations for the round of 32.
All 12 nations that rank fourth in their group will be automatically eliminated.
However, there are an additional eight knockout spots for the 12 teams that finish third in their group to battle to secure a spot based on some criteria.
The eight highest-ranked third-place teams will advance, with group points won the first factor considered. If points are equal, goal difference will be used to determine rankings, and if this is the same, then the team with the most goals scored will rank higher.
If any teams are still tied after these criteria are applied, then the team with the best ‘fair play’ disciplinary record — this means the fewest yellow and red cards will be used.
A yellow card counts for one point, an indirect red card (resulting from a second yellow card) is three points, a direct red is four points and a yellow plus a direct red card is five points. The team with the lowest points has the best ‘fair play’ score.
If these numbers are the same for different teams, the side with the higher FIFA world ranking edges the tiebreak.
The eight third-place sides that advance will be paired with eight group winners in the last-32 stage, with the four remaining group winners playing second-place teams and the remaining eight second-place sides paired with each other.