The 2026 FIFA World Cup, featuring 48 national teams and co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, officially began on Thursday, 21 Jowza in Mexico City.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was held at the Azteca Stadium in the Mexican capital, attended by thousands of spectators as well as officials from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
This is the first time in World Cup history that 48 teams are participating. Previously, from 1998 to 2022, the tournament was held with 32 teams.
Following the opening ceremony, the first match of this edition was played between Mexico and South Africa.
The Azteca Stadium has hosted a World Cup opening ceremony for the third time in its history. It previously hosted the opening ceremonies of the 1970 and 1986 World Cups.
The 2026 World Cup is the first edition of the tournament to be held jointly across three countries. With the expansion in the number of teams, the number of matches has also increased significantly.
A total of 104 matches will be played in this edition, compared to 64 matches in the 2022 World Cup.
Teams are divided into 12 groups of four, and at the end of the group stage, the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage.
The tournament will be held across 16 stadiums in the three host countries and will last for more than a month.
The final of the 2026 World Cup is scheduled to take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New York–New Jersey, where the champion of the largest edition in the tournament’s history will be determined.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
