The World Cup 2026 is one of the most iconic events in sports. The FIFA World Cup, held every four years, will be held for the first time in 2026 in three countries and the number of participating teams will be increased to 48 this year.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is unusual in several ways. The 2026 tournament will feature 48 teams – 45 qualifying countries, plus the three host nations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is the largest expansion that has ever taken place: since 1930, 13 teams have participated in the World Cup, in 1954 it became 16, in 1982 it became 24, and in 1998 they adopted the format we are accustomed to with 32 teams.
48 teams will be divided into 12 groups of four each. First and second places will go out of the groups directly, but those who finish in third place will be ranked based on points, goal differences, and other indicators, if necessary. Only eight teams – a total of 32 national teams – will advance to the next stage. After that, a playoff grid will be formed.
FIFA says the tournament will last as long as 2010, 2014, and 2018 World Cups – a total of 56 days. But that takes into account the preparation period, which is now 14 days. The 2026 World Cup itself will last 39 days – a week longer than the 2010, 2014, and 2018 World Cups, and 10 days longer than the tournament in Qatar.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in history will be held in three countries at once. Previously, the competition has been held only once in two countries – in 2002, the World Cup was hosted by Japan and South Korea.
What is World Cup 2026?
The World Cup 2026 is the 23rd FIFA World Cup held since 1930. World Cup 2026 will be held in the summer of 2026, in three countries – the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The World Cup finals are scheduled for June 19, 2026.
In terms of visual identity, The official emblem of the competition will depict the World Cup on the background of the number 26. Also, FIFA plans to present 16 more logos for all cities hosting matches of the championship. The official slogan of the competition is “We are 2026.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) has unveiled the logo and trophy of the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The centerpiece of the logo is the main trophy, the World Cup. It is set against a background of a pattern consisting of a multicolored repetition of the number 26, referring to the year of the tournament. The full official brand is also in different colors. It is described as “a celebration of soccer and diversity.”
“For the first time, the logo features the trophy itself and the year of the tournament, forming an innovative design language that anchors the World Cup emblem for 2026 and beyond. The image of the trophy and the year of the tournament allows it to be used in a way that reflects the uniqueness of each new tournament while creating a recognizable brand structure for years to come,” FIFA said on its website.
The bold uppercase “FIFA” lettering from the official logo of the World Cup 2026 is set in a modern geometric Sans-serif typeface with diagonally-cut horizontal bars of both letters “F”. The closest fonts to the one, used in this insignia, are, probably, Nula Heavy, or Burlingame Pro Condensed Black.
As for the color palette of the World Cup 2026 visual identity, here we have two options: the primary one with a black-and-white background, and a golden and green cup in the center, and the multicolor one, which celebrates football in all of the dimensions.