2026 World Cup: new format, first surprises, and what lies ahead

The 2026 World Cup officially kicked off on June 11 and is already living up to expectations as the largest tournament in the history of the World Cup. The tournament is held in three countries – the USA, Canada, and Mexico – with matches distributed across 16 stadiums in 16 cities in North America.

The format has been completely updated – for the first time, 48 national teams are participating, divided into 12 groups of four teams each. Thus, the total number of matches reaches a record 104, and the duration of the championship is 39 days – from June 11 to July 19.

The opening match was played at the legendary Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, and the final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, near New York. The third-place play-off will take place a day earlier in Miami at Hard Rock Stadium.

The group stage is proceeding at an intense pace – from June 11 to June 27, matches are played in all 12 groups. From them, the top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout stage, as well as the eight best third-placed teams. Thus, 32 teams enter the direct elimination phase, and the new "Round of 32" stage makes the tournament even more unpredictable.

So far, dozens of matches have already been played from the first rounds of the group stage, and the early results have already given a clear signal of which teams are in excellent form. Argentina began its campaign confidently with a decisive 3-0 victory over Algeria, and Austria also recorded a strong start with 3-1 against Jordan.

Among the European giants, Germany made the most convincing impression, thrashing Curaçao 7-1 and showing that their ambitions are set on the final. France also started steadily with a 3-1 success over Senegal, while the Netherlands and Japan finished in a spectacular 2-2 draw.

Scandinavian teams also declared their ambitions – Sweden crushed Tunisia 5-1, and Norway came from behind to beat Iraq 4-1. In another interesting encounter, Australia defeated Turkey 2-0 and took an important step toward the knockout stage.

Clashes between traditional powers and "dark horses" are not lacking. Spain started more cautiously with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, and Brazil was stopped at the start after a 1-1 with Morocco – results that suggest how balanced the tournament is. Draws such as 2-2 between Iran and New Zealand and 1-1 between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay further tighten the intrigue in the groups.

The hosts from the USA and Mexico have also already recorded their first points. The US team performed convincingly and defeated Paraguay 4-1, showing a strong attack and good tempo throughout the match. Mexico started with a 2-0 victory over South Africa and used home-field advantage in front of sold-out stands.

Some of the matches showed that the traditional hierarchy in football is being shaken. Qatar managed to earn a valuable point against Switzerland in a 1-1 draw, and some African and Asian teams are demonstrating an increasingly high level, with good physical preparation and tactical discipline.

Statistics from the first rounds confirm the trend toward high-scoring and more offensive football. The average scoring is noticeably higher compared to the early stages of previous World Cups, with matches featuring 7 or 5 goals already not being a rarity. At the same time, the 1-1 and 2-2 draws show that the gap between favorites and underdogs is narrowing.

One of the major features of the 2026 World Cup is the expanded playoff stage. After the end of the group stage, the "Round of 32" begins, which will be played from June 28 to July 3. This is followed by the "Round of 16" (July 4–7), the quarter-finals (July 9–11), the semi-finals (July 14–15), the third-place match on July 18, and the big final on July 19.

The full tournament calendar is densely packed – there is practically no day without football, and the distribution of time zones allows matches to be watched live in large parts of the world. Almost all matches already have fixed dates and times, and by the end of the groups, we can expect key encounters between favorites and so-called "miracle teams" from smaller football nations.

According to analysts, the new 48-team format brings both opportunities and risks. On one hand, more countries get a chance to participate at the highest level, and global interest in football is growing. On the other hand, the heavy schedule and additional matches place pressure on the players' physical preparation and squad depth.

In the very first days of the 2026 World Cup, several clear favorites emerged, but also several surprise teams that could upset the calculations of the traditional powers. In the coming weeks, attention will be focused on the decisive clashes in the groups, and then on the new, expanded knockout phase, where every match will be "all or nothing".