2026 World Cup kicks off today: Everything you need to know

So, what other interesting facts are there about this World Cup?

“Stabil.az” presents an article on the 2026 World Cup, which is eagerly anticipated by millions of football fans around the world.

To begin with, the tournament will take place across 16 cities: 11 in the United States (Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle), three in Mexico (Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey), and two in Canada (Vancouver and Toronto). The longest distance between host cities exceeds 4,500 kilometers.

A total of 78 of the 104 matches, including all knockout games from the quarter-finals onward, will be played in the United States. Mexico and Canada will each host 13 matches.

This World Cup is also likely to be the final appearance for two football legends – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Opening match

The opening match will be played on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City between the national teams of Mexico and South Africa. These two teams also faced each other in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg, which ended in a 1–1 draw.

Mexico holds the record for the most appearances in opening World Cup matches, having featured in eight such games.

Prize money

Total prize pool: $871 million

• Participation: $12.5 million
• Round of 32 (1/16 finals): $14.5 million
• Round of 16 (1/8 finals): $18.5 million
• Quarter-finals: $22.5 million
• Fourth place: $30.5 million
• Third place: $32.5 million
• Runner-up: $36.5 million
• Champion: $53.5 million

Each participating team is guaranteed around $12.5 million. For comparison, at the 2022 World Cup, teams eliminated in the group stage received $9 million each. The winner of the current tournament will earn a record $53.5 million in prize money.

Tournament format

A record 48 teams will compete instead of the previous 32. The teams will be divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage.

This means that for the first time in World Cup history, the Round of 32 will be introduced. Since the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, the knockout stage had started directly from the Round of 16.

In total, 104 matches will be played during the tournament, compared to 64 matches in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The competition will last 39 days.

Countries hosting multiple World Cups

Mexico holds the record for hosting the most World Cups, with 2026 marking its third tournament (1970, 1986, 2026).

Italy (1934, 1990), France (1938, 1998), Germany (1974, 2006), and Brazil (1950, 2014) have each hosted twice. The United States will host its second World Cup, after previously hosting in 1994.

Most successful national team

Brazil remains the most successful national team in World Cup history, with five titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002).

Germany and Italy follow with four titles each, Argentina has three, while France and Uruguay have two each.

World Cup debutants

Four national teams will make their World Cup debut in 2026: Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Curaçao.

Uzbekistan will become the first Central Asian nation to ever qualify for the World Cup. They finished second in their qualifying group, just two points behind Iran. At the tournament, they will face Portugal, Colombia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Group K.

Jordan came close to qualification for the 2014 World Cup but lost in the intercontinental playoffs. In 2026, they will compete in Group J alongside Argentina, Algeria, and Austria.

Curaçao becomes the smallest country ever to qualify for a World Cup in terms of both area (444 sq km) and population (around 155,800 people according to 2023 census data). They secured qualification through strong performance in the CONCACAF qualifiers.

Cape Verde also makes its first appearance after a standout qualifying campaign, finishing ahead of Cameroon in their group.

Teams returning after long absences

Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, ending a 14-tournament absence.

Iraq will appear in the World Cup for the first time since 1986.

Norway, Scotland, and Austria are returning after last featuring in 1998, while Turkey qualifies for its first World Cup since finishing third in the 2002 tournament.

“Group of death”

One of the toughest groups is Group I, featuring France, Senegal, Norway, and Iraq. It has been labeled the “group of death,” with an average difficulty rating of 81.8%.

France (95.10%) is considered the group favorite and one of the main contenders for the title. Norway (82.95%), led by star striker Erling Haaland, is also expected to challenge for qualification. Senegal (62.44%) remains one of Africa’s strongest teams.

A key highlight of the group stage will be the clash between France’s Kylian Mbappé and Norway’s Erling Haaland.

Other strong groups include Group K (81.0), featuring Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Group J (80.5), with Argentina, Austria, Algeria, and Jordan.

Most valuable players

Norway’s Erling Haaland and Spain’s Lamine Yamal are the most valuable players at the tournament, each valued at €200 million by Transfermarkt.

The top five also includes France’s Kylian Mbappé (€180 million), Spain’s Pedri (€150 million), and France’s Michael Olise (€150 million).

Other high-value players include Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior (€140 million), Portugal’s Vitinha and João Neves (€140 million each), England’s Jude Bellingham (€130 million) and Declan Rice (€120 million), and France’s Désiré Doué (€120 million).