FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is the most important national-team tournament in football, played every four years since 1930. The 2026 edition, held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, was the first with 48 national teams, split into 12 groups of four, followed by a round of 32, the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final.

The 2026 World Cup had 104 matches in 16 stadiums across North America, the largest edition in history. Expanding to 48 teams made room for more national teams from historically under-represented confederations, with first-ever pairings and greater statistical variety. For analysis, the expanded format means more matches per round and a longer knockout stage, where managing physical fatigue, squad rotation and performance in decisive matches weigh heavily.