Every four years, the World Cup lights up the globe with its incredible football action and message of uniting people from all around under the banner of sport. This year, the twenty-third World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This will be the first tournament to feature 48 teams, compared to recent World Cups that have only had 32.
New Faces
With 16 new spots to be filled, the tournament was bound to feature some first-time countries, and countries that have been gone a long time. An exciting series of qualifying matches was delivered, bringing four newcomers to the stage: the tiny Caribbean island of Curaçao, the west African archipelago of Cabo Verde, the Middle Eastern Kingdom of Jordan, and Uzbekistan from central Asia. Haiti, also in the Caribbean, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in sub-Saharan Africa, return for the first time since 1974. Iraq is back for the first time since 1986, while Norway and Scotland also break 30-year absences.
All the traditional powers will return, with 29 of the top 32-ranked teams in the world having qualified. The only outstanding absences are Denmark, who lost their playoff match to Czechia, and four-time champion Italy, who dramatically crashed out of the qualifying playoffs for the third time straight.
Will we see another amazing gathering of fans from around the world? For the most part, the answer is yes. But some fans may struggle to get into the U.S. in particular. There is always a political side to world tournaments, and it may rear its ugly head before the 2026 edition. The Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Haiti sit on President Trump’s travel ban list. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has stated there will be a special visa that fans should be able to obtain, but the government has not indicated that restrictions will be lifted. Finally, with the war between Iran and the U.S, it will be a struggle for their team to get there and compete. After meeting with the Iranian team in Turkiye, Infantino reassured that Iran would be there. However, contradicting statements have come from multiple governments. Trump has discouraged Iran from attending, and Iranian Minister of Sport Ahmad Donyamali said that “under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup.” Donyamali requested to get the country’s matches in Los Angeles and Seattle moved to Mexico, but was denied, so the situation remains up in the air.
The Venues
The World Cup will be hosted in 16 cities across the three host countries. The U.S. will host matches in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, and New York/New Jersey, where the final will be played at MetLife Stadium. Mexico will host the opening match in Mexico City, along with other matches in Guadalajara and Monterrey. Finally, Canada will host matches in Vancouver and Toronto.
As part of these arrangements, Seattle will host six games at Lumen Field. Four will be part of the group stage, and two will be knockout matches. Groups are no longer sorted by city, so Seattle gets to see a variety of sides in June. The first match in Seattle will be Belgium vs Egypt on the 15th, then USA vs Australia on the 19th. Later on the 24th, we’ll see Bosnia & Herzegovina face Qatar, then Egypt vs Iran on June 26. After that, Seattle gets the privilege to host knockout games. The winner of Group G will face a third-place team on July 1 as part of the Round of 32. Seattle’s last match will be part of the Round of 16 on July 6.
Format and Favorites
I mentioned the Round of 32, which was not in previous World Cups. This is because of the change in formatting required by the expansion to 48 teams. Just like before, each group will be made up of four teams, but instead of eight groups, there will be 12. In each group, the top two teams will advance to the next round. But this is only 24 teams, necessitating how the top eight third-place teams will also advance to total 32. Then the winner moves on until it is down to two teams in the final.
The favorites are France and Spain, who are widely viewed as the two strongest teams. Behind them are England, Argentina, and Brazil. Portugal and the Netherlands are also projected to do well. Other countries that are expected to make it out of their groups and potentially make a run include Switzerland, Morocco, Belgium, Germany, and Colombia.
Stars of the Tournament
Each country features a selection of top players and stars built to represent their homes on the highest level. This World Cup, we’ll see a brand new generation of superstars make their first impact on the tournament, but we’ll also see the once-and-for-all no takebacks last appearance for household names like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Some of the best combinations might be the Spanish midfield and the French attack. Spain’s midfield features Barcelona’s amazing Pedri, the Ballon d’Or winner Rodri from Manchester City, and PSG stalwart Fabian Ruiz. France will lead with Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, also from PSG, Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, and Real Madrid’s once-in-a-generation star Kylian Mbappe, who is proven to come alive on the international stage. The Netherlands will feature perhaps the toughest defense with stars from across the Premier League, like Virgil van Dijk and Micky van de Ven. Harry Kane will once again captain England, and fullback Achraf Hakimi aims to take Morocco on another Cinderella run. PSG’s Vitinha, maybe the best midfielder in the world, will partner with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes to guide Portugal’s attack. The brilliant wingers Raphinha and Vinicius Jr, from rival clubs in Spain, will collaborate in Brazil’s spotlight roles. Erling Haaland is ready to be Norway’s best forward and challenge for the Golden Boot. The Spanish wonderkid, Lamine Yamal, is primed to burst onto the scene.
But there are others we will miss. These players will likely be playing in their final World Cup. Heung-min Son will again lead South Korea. In Africa, Mohamed Salah will try to help Egypt finally advance to the knockouts. Golden generations in Belgium, Switzerland, and Croatia will attempt to produce one last bit of magic. World Cup legend James Rodriguez will go all out for Colombia once more. Neymar Jr is making a push to be fit for Brazil. Cristiano Ronaldo, deep in physical decline, will be ready to score again for Portugal if he starts. And finally, the greatest of them all, Lionel Messi, embarks on a last dance with Argentina as reigning champion, having completed his footballing destiny.
This World Cup is meant to celebrate the careers of those leaving, as much as it is to welcome the new stars. I look forward to plenty more great matches and iconic moments, and I’m sure every other football fan does too.
