Historically Largest World Cup 2026 to kick off tomorrow in Mexico city, featuring 48 teams with record Arab representation

On Jun 10, 2026 5:31 PM

WORLD, June 10 (YPA) – The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off tomorrow, Thursday, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico until July 19.

This edition marks a radical turning point in the tournament’s history, as it is held for the first time across three nations and features a record-breaking expansion to 48 teams instead of 32.

The Kickoff and New Format

The Opening Match: The historic Azteca Stadium in the Mexican capital will host the opening ceremony and the inaugural match between Mexico and South Africa, making it the first venue ever to host World Cup matches in three different editions (1970, 1986, 2026).
Competition System: A total of 104 matches will be played over 40 days. The teams are divided into 12 groups, with the top two from each group alongside the 8 best third-placed teams advancing to the newly introduced Round of 32. The knockout stages will proceed until the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, meaning the champion will play 8 matches instead of 7.

Arab Presence and Qatari Ambitions

Record Arab Participation: This edition sees an unprecedented Arab presence with 8 nations participating: Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, which is making its historic World Cup debut.
The Qatari National Team: Making its second historic appearance and its first through qualifiers, Qatar will open its campaign against Switzerland on June 13 in San Francisco within Group B (which also includes Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina), aiming to advance past the group stage for the first time.

Geographical Challenges

The tournament’s matches will be played across 16 cities (11 in the US, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada). This makes it the most geographically expansive World Cup in history, presenting teams and fans with the challenge of traveling long distances spanning thousands of kilometers—a stark contrast to the compact nature of the Qatar 2022 edition.

YPA