World Cup 2026 expands to 48 teams and 104 matches; learn the new groups, knockout path, and why every fixture now matters.
Follow as many teams and players as you like — every match you care about, synced to your calendar.
Japan's 2026 World Cup games kick off at 5am vs Netherlands, 1pm vs Tunisia and 8am vs Sweden. Where to watch them across Japan — every DAZN AEON Cinema, Toei cinema, free AEON Mall venue and HUB branch, in region-by-region tables with names, stations and prices.
Shinjuku sports bars for the 2026 World Cup — HUB, Fiori and the dedicated football pub 2nd Half one stop away — plus Kabukichō, Golden Gai and the free Tocho view.
Every Matchday 1 result from the 2026 World Cup group stage, group by group. Messi's hat-trick, Haaland and Mbappé doubles, Germany's seven-goal rout, and Japan's 2-2 with the Netherlands — plus what each result sets up for Matchday 2.
Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal on penalties (1-1 aet, 4-3) in the 2026 Champions League final to go back-to-back. The goals, the shootout, Vitinha's MOTM, Arteta's reaction, what it means, and how Japan watched it.
View the World Cup 2026 schedule across all 104 matches, with timezone-aware kickoff times and calendar options for every fixture.
Akihabara sports bars for the 2026 World Cup — STADIUM BAR Akiba League and HUB — plus Electric Town, anime and retro-gaming for the ultimate otaku matchday.
Arsenal are 2025-26 Premier League champions — their first title in 22 years. How Mikel Arteta's side clinched it, the players behind it, and what comes next, including the Champions League final.
The 2026 World Cup is the first 48-team tournament in history. That's 16 more nations than 2022, 104 matches instead of 64, three host countries instead of one. The shift from 32 to 48 changes everything from how groups feel to how the knockout bracket sequences.
Total matches: 104 (vs 64 in 2022). Total tournament length: 39 days.
| Reason | Detail |
|---|---|
| Revenue | 40+ extra matches = $1B+ in additional broadcasting / ticketing |
| Federation politics | Slots for under-represented confederations (Asia +1, Africa +4, etc.) |
| Player development | More countries with realistic qualification = better domestic infrastructure |
| Geographic accessibility | 3-country hosting opens new fan markets |
| Confederation | 2022 (32 teams) | 2026 (48 teams) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA (Europe) | 13 | 16 | +3 |
| CAF (Africa) | 5 | 9 | +4 |
| AFC (Asia) | 4.5 | 8 | +3.5 |
| CONCACAF | 3.5 | 6 | +2.5 (incl. 3 hosts) |
| CONMEBOL (S. America) | 4.5 | 6 | +1.5 |
| OFC (Oceania) | 0.5 | 1 | +0.5 |
| Intercontinental playoff | – | 2 | – |
| Total | 32 | 48 | +16 |
The 8 best 3rd-place teams advance, ranked by:
This means every match matters — even when a team's elimination looks certain, the goal-difference impact on group rivals can affect the entire 32-team bracket.
With top 2 + 8 best 3rds advancing, teams in mid-strength groups now play for a clean draw in MD3 rather than risking a loss. Expect more low-event 0-0s in week three.
Champion plays 8 matches (was 7 in 2022). That's an extra round of injury / suspension risk. Squad depth matters more than ever.
The R32 starts 7 days after the final group games — long rest, but the knockout schedule then compresses (R32 / R16 / QF in 12 days). Expect rotation strategies to dominate the early knockouts.
| Stage | Dates | Matches | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | June 11 - June 27 | 72 | 17 |
| Rest | June 28 - July 3 | 0 | 6 |
| R32 | July 4 - 7 | 16 | 4 |
| R16 | July 8 - 11 | 8 | 4 |
| Quarter-finals | July 12 - 14 | 4 | 3 |
| Semi-finals | July 15 - 16 | 2 | 2 |
| 3rd-place | July 18 | 1 | 1 |
| Final | July 19 | 1 | 1 |
| Country | Cities |
|---|---|
| USA (11) | Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/NJ, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay, Seattle |
| Mexico (3) | Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey |
| Canada (2) | Toronto, Vancouver |
| Channel | Coverage |
|---|---|
| NHK | All 104 matches live |
| NHK BS4K | 4K simulcast for selected matches |
| DAZN | Highlights and supplementary feeds |
Kickoff times will mostly land in JST mid-night / early morning windows — recording is the realistic workflow.
Because of how host slots are distributed, some groups will be loaded with three Pot 1 / Pot 2 teams. Some will be near-balanced. The draw on December 5, 2025 determines this.
Includes most first-time qualifiers (New Zealand, Cape Verde, Uzbekistan, El Salvador, etc.). Realistic expectation: 2-3 of these will advance to R32 thanks to the 3rd-place qualification path.
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Subscribe to the World Cup 2026 calendar feed — all 104 matches auto-update with your phone calendar app. Time-zone conversion to JST is automatic.
Q. Is 48 too many teams? A. UEFA / South American football media have argued so. Defenders point to 2022 — Morocco's run, Saudi beating Argentina, Japan beating Germany. The "small nations" produced the best stories.
Q. Are matches still 90 minutes? A. Yes. No change to match length or extra time / penalties rules.
Q. What happens if there's a tie in the group? A. Points → goal difference → goals scored → head-to-head → disciplinary → final tiebreaker (FIFA ranking).
Q. Will the format change again? A. 2030 stays at 48 teams (Spain/Portugal/Morocco + South American matches). 2034 (Saudi) reportedly the same. The 48-team era is here to stay.
