Sports
2026 FIFA World Cup
First 48-team World Cup. Three hosts, sixteen cities, twelve groups of four. Top two in each group plus eight best third-place teams reach a 32-team knockout bracket. This page tracks the setup, host venues, key players, and tournament progress.
Status as of July 14: the quarterfinals are done and the semifinals are set. Four teams remain: France, Spain, England, and Argentina. France face Spain today in Dallas. England play Argentina tomorrow in Atlanta. The final is July 19 at MetLife Stadium.
Most World Cup Titles
The five most successful nations in World Cup history, by total titles won.
Brazil leads with five (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002). Germany and Italy have four apiece, Argentina three (most recently 2022), and France two. Uruguay also has two titles.
Tournament Progress
Opening match: Mexico 2–0 South Africa at Estadio Azteca (Jun 11). Semifinals are July 14–15. Third-place match July 18 in Miami. Final is July 19 at MetLife Stadium (NY/NJ).
Story So Far
- All three co-hosts are out. Canada fell to Morocco, Mexico to England, and the USMNT to Belgium in the Round of 16.
- France have won all seven matches, beat Morocco 2–0 in the quarterfinals, and remain the title favorite into today's semifinal vs Spain.
- Spain beat Belgium 2–1 in the quarterfinals after eliminating Portugal. Their clean-sheet run ended; they face France in Dallas tonight.
- England edged Norway 2–1 to reach the semis. Bellingham and Kane are both on 6 goals in the Golden Boot race.
- Argentina beat Switzerland 3–1 in extra time after earlier comebacks vs Cape Verde and Egypt. Messi is tied with Mbappe on 8 goals.
- Final four: France, Spain, England, Argentina. Every co-host and heavyweights including Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Norway, Belgium, and Morocco are out.
By the Numbers
Messi and Mbappe are tied on 8 goals. Haaland is stuck on 7 after Norway's exit. Kane and Bellingham sit on 6. Germany's 7–1 demolition of Curacao remains the biggest scoreline.
Follow the Money: Hydration Breaks
For the first time, FIFA mandated a three-minute hydration break in each half of all 104 matches. FIFA frames it as player welfare and says it earns no direct extra money. The breaks did, however, create a brand-new pool of premium in-game ad inventory for broadcasters.
The math: roughly 2 breaks × 4 ads × 104 matches ≈ 832 slots. At a conservative $300K blended rate that is about $250M in the US alone, more than half of Fox's $485M rights fee. FIFA president Gianni Infantino insists there is "no additional revenue for Fifa" since deals were signed in advance, though analysts note the breaks make future TV rights more valuable. One BBC estimate puts the worldwide total near $1B. Sources: BBC Sport, The Athletic, Wall Street Journal.
Format at a Glance
- Group stage: 12 groups, round-robin, 3 matches per team (72 total).
- Advance: Top 2 in each group (24) + 8 best third-place teams = 32 in knockout.
- Knockout: Round of 32 → 16 → QF → SF → Final (8 matches to win it).
- Points: Win 3, draw 1, loss 0. Tie-breakers: head-to-head, then goal difference, goals scored, fair play, FIFA ranking.
Host Cities Map
Sixteen venues across three countries. Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, and click a marker for the city and stadium.
Group Stage
Final standings. Click a team name for key players.
Q through 3rd best third-place out eliminated
Round of 32
Completed June 28 – July 3. Full results below.
- Canada 1–0 South Africa
- Brazil 2–1 Japan
- Paraguay 1–1 Germany (4–3 pens)
- Morocco 1–1 Netherlands (3–2 pens)
- Norway 2–1 Ivory Coast
- France 3–0 Sweden
- Mexico 2–0 Ecuador
- England 2–1 DR Congo
- Belgium 3–2 Senegal (a.e.t.)
- USA 2–0 Bosnia & Herz.
- Spain 3–0 Austria
- Portugal 2–1 Croatia
- Switzerland 2–0 Algeria
- Egypt 1–1 Australia (4–2 pens)
- Argentina 3–2 Cape Verde (a.e.t.)
- Colombia 1–0 Ghana
Round of 16
Completed July 4–7. Eight teams advanced to the quarterfinals.
- Morocco 3–0 Canada
- France 1–0 Paraguay
- Norway 2–1 Brazil
- England 3–2 Mexico
- Spain 1–0 Portugal
- Belgium 4–1 USA
- Argentina 3–2 Egypt
- Switzerland 0–0 Colombia (4–3 pens)
Quarterfinals
Completed July 9–11. Four teams advanced to the semifinals.
- France 2–0 Morocco
- Spain 2–1 Belgium
- England 2–1 Norway
- Argentina 3–1 Switzerland (a.e.t.)
All four former champions advanced. Norway's run ended one round short of the semis. France vs Morocco was a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal.
Semifinals
Four teams left. Two wins from the trophy. Winners meet in the final July 19.
- FrancevsSpain
- EnglandvsArgentina
Third-place match: July 18, 5 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami). Final: July 19, 3 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium (NY/NJ). All four of FIFA's top-ranked teams entering the tournament reached the final four.
Golden Boot Race
Top scorers heading into the semifinals. Assists are the first tie-breaker.
| Player | Country | G | A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kylian Mbappe | France | 8 | 3 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 8 | 2 |
| 3 | Erling Haaland | Norway (out) | 7 | 0 |
| 4 | Harry Kane | England | 6 | 1 |
| 5 | Jude Bellingham | England | 6 | 1 |
| 6 | Ousmane Dembele | France | 5 | 2 |
| 7 | Mikel Oyarzabal | Spain | 4 | 1 |
| 8 | Vinicius Jr | Brazil (out) | 4 | 1 |
| 9 | Deniz Undav | Germany (out) | 3 | 2 |
| 10 | Jonathan David | Canada (out) | 3 | 0 |
Mbappe and Messi are tied on 8. Mbappe holds the assist edge (3–2), so he currently leads the Golden Boot race on tiebreakers. Haaland's campaign ended with Norway's exit.
Who's Most Likely to Win
Title odds from betting markets as of July 13. France remain favorites into the semifinals.
France and Spain meet in one semifinal, so one of the two favorites is gone by tonight. England edged past Argentina in some books after beating Norway. All three co-hosts and Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Morocco, Norway, and Switzerland are out.
Teams and Key Players
Select a team from the standings above, or expand any squad below.