The 2026 FIFA World Cup, marketed as FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the 23rd Football World Cup, the quadrennial international men's soccer championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. It will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The tournament will be the first hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994. Argentina is the defending champion.
This tournament will be the first to include 48 teams, expanded from 32. The United 2026 bid beat a rival bid by Morocco during a final vote at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow. It will be the first Football World Cup since 2002 to be hosted by more than one nation. With its past hosting of the 1970 and 1986 tournaments, Mexico will become the first country to host or co-host the men's World Cup three times. The United States last hosted the Men's Football World Cup in 1994, whereas it will be Canada's first time hosting or co-hosting the men's tournament. The event will also return to its traditional northern summer schedule after the 2022 edition in Qatar was held in November and December.
Brazil holds the record for the most FIFA World Cup wins, with five titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002). Teams like Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy, and France are often considered to have had the best football players over different eras, featuring legends such as Pelé, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, and Zinedine Zidane. The record for the most goals scored in FIFA World Cup history is held by Miroslav Klose of Germany, who scored 16 goals across four tournaments (2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014).