FIFA World Cup | Past winners and host countries

FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup, contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA.

The tournament will take place from 11 June to 19 July 2026.

It will be jointly hosted by 16 cities – 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. The tournament will be the first to be hosted by three nations.

This tournament will be the first to include 48 teams, an expansion from 32.

Final vote

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 men’s World Cup since 2002 to be co-hosted by multiple nations.

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 previously hosted the men’s World Cup in 1994.

By contrast, it will be Canada’s first time hosting or co-hosting the men’s tournament.

The event will return to its traditional Northern Hemisphere summer schedule after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was held in November and December.

As the host nations, Canada, Mexico, and the United States all automatically qualified. 

Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan will all make their World Cup debuts. South Africa will also return to the tournament for the first time since hosting in 2010.

Argentina are the defending champions having won their third title in 2022.

FIFA World Cup past winners