2026 World Cup: 6 things you need to know
The 2026 World Cup is to be bigger than all of its predecessors. Whether it will be better is an entirely different question. DW fills
The 2026 World Cup is to be bigger than all of its predecessors. Whether it will be better is an entirely different question. DW fills you in on what you need to know. 1. Three hosts with strained ties This World Cup will be the first to be hosted by three countries – the United States, Canada and Mexico – as opposed to the usual single nation. 2002 was an exception, when Japan and South Korea broke new ground by sharing the hosting duties. This year's cohosts have usually enjoyed good relations, but these have become more difficult since US President Donald Trump began his second term in office. His threats to annex Canada as the "51st" US state and punitive tariffs have soured the mood between two historically close allies. US ties with Mexico have been strained over several issues including their shared border and Trump threatening, tacitly at least, to use military force to combat drug cartels operating in Mexico. 2. More teams, more games Forty-eight teams taking part means many more games, a total of 104 compared to 64 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when only 32 nations were involved. The opening match will be between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on June 11. There will be 12 groups of four teams, compared to eight four years ago. The top two teams from each of the groups plus the best eight third-placed teams advance to the round of 32. This extra knockout round has been introduced to help whittle down the number of teams on the way to the final in New Jersey on July 19.
More teams meant more opportunities for nations to make it to World Cup for the first time. Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan will all be making their debuts, which is great news for their fans, but critics worry that the increased number of teams could result in a drop in the overall quality of play. The 2026 World Cup will be the first co-hosted by three countries Image: Jia Haocheng/Xinhua/picture alliance 3. Mandatory hydration breaks While hydration breaks are not new to football, FIFA has announced that all World Cup matches will feature two such breaks approximately 22 minutes into each half — regardless of the weather conditions. Previously, referees were required to call cooling breaks 30 minutes into each half when the temperature at kickoff exceeded 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 degrees Fahrenheit). The change comes amid concerns about high temperatures expected in some of the host cities, as was the case at last summer's Club World Cup in the US. Conveniently for broadcasters, FIFA has confirmed that they will be allowed to cut away from matches to air commercials during these 3-minute breaks. This overcomes a problem that vexed US broadcasters during the 1994 World Cup and effectively breaks matches up into quarters – just like in two of the more popular televised sports in the United States, basketball and American football. At last year's Club World Cup, hydration breaks only occurred during games played at high temperatures Image: Marco Bader/HMB-Media/IMAGO 4. Human rights concerns A report released by Amnesty International in March warned that the World Cup poses "significant risks and impacts for fans players, journalists, workers and local communities alike." The report is hardest on the USA, which is to host the vast majority of matches.
The BriefWire