2026 FIFA WORLD CUP

What is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the 23rd edition of the men's senior tournament organized by FIFA. The competition runs from June 11, 2026 to July 19, 2026 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking the first World Cup hosted by three nations and the first held in North America since the 1994 tournament in the United States.

The tournament features 48 national teams, expanded from 32 in Qatar 2022. FIFA staged 104 matches across 16 venues, up from 64 matches four years ago. The total prize pool reaches a record $871 million, with the winning nation collecting $50 million and every qualified team guaranteed a minimum of $12.5 million. Argentina collected $42 million for winning the 2022 final against France at Lusail Stadium in Qatar; the 2026 champion takes home $8 million more.

The tournament runs 39 days, the longest in World Cup history. The opening match is Mexico against South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11. The final is at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19.

How does the 2026 FIFA World Cup format work?

FIFA introduced a new 48-team format for the 2026 edition. The 48 qualified nations were drawn into 12 groups of four, labeled Group A through Group L, at the Final Draw on December 5, 2025 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Each team plays three group-stage matches between June 11 and June 27, 2026.

The top two finishers from each group advance automatically, joined by the eight best third-placed teams across all 12 groups. That produces a 32-team knockout bracket. The Round of 32 is a new stage that did not exist in any previous World Cup.

From the Round of 32 onward, the tournament follows single-elimination rules. The knockout phase runs from June 28 through July 19, 2026 and includes the Round of 32, Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, the third-place playoff, and the final at MetLife Stadium. Teams reaching the final now play eight matches in total, up from seven in earlier 32-team World Cups.

The total of 104 matches breaks down to 72 group-stage games and 32 knockout games (16 + 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 third-place playoff + 1 final).

Where is the 2026 FIFA World Cup being played?

The 16 host cities and their stadiums are listed below. The United States hosts 11 venues, Mexico hosts 3, and Canada hosts 2. Stadium capacities reflect the confirmed FIFA configurations for the tournament.

When are the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches?

The full match calendar is published on FIFA.com. The headline dates per stage:

The final kicks off at 3:00 PM ET on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, scheduled to align with prime-time audiences in Europe and South America.

Who has won the FIFA World Cup?

The last six editions of the FIFA World Cup, by champion, runner-up, score, host, and Golden Boot winner:

Brazil holds the all-time record with five World Cup titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002). Germany and Italy share second place on four titles each. Argentina has three titles (1978, 1986, 2022). Miroslav Klose of Germany is the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history with 16 goals across four tournaments from 2002 to 2014. Kylian Mbappé enters the 2026 tournament with 12 goals across the 2018 and 2022 editions, the only active player within range of Klose's record.

How do you bet on the FIFA World Cup?

World Cup betting on Goated splits into tournament-long outrights, settled when the trophy is awarded on July 19, and per-match markets, settled at each fixture's full-time. Goated offers 80+ betting markets per FIFA World Cup fixture, powered by Betradar (Sportradar) for odds and live match data. The sportsbook accepts a $0.50 minimum bet, up to 20 selections per betslip, and one currency per betslip (BTC, ETH, SOL, USDT, USDC, or $GOATED).

Tournament outrights

Outright winner. Pick the nation that lifts the trophy on July 19, 2026. As of May 2026, Spain, France, and England led the pre-tournament outright market; defending champion Argentina and five-time winner Brazil sit just behind.

Group winner. Pick the team that finishes first in any of the 12 groups (A through L).

Top scorer. Pick the tournament's leading goalscorer at the final whistle on July 19. Kylian Mbappé won this market at Qatar 2022 with eight goals.

Match-result markets

1X2 (match result). Pick home win, draw, or away win on a single fixture. The most-traded football market and the basis for all in-play wagering.

Double Chance. Cover two of the three 1X2 outcomes in one bet (home-or-draw, away-or-draw, home-or-away). Lower payout, higher hit rate than a straight 1X2.

Draw No Bet. Stake refunds if the match ends in a draw. Useful for evenly-matched fixtures.

Halftime/Fulltime. Pick the leader at the half-time whistle and the leader at the full-time whistle as a single combined bet. Higher payout, lower hit rate.

Goals markets

Total (over/under). Bet on whether combined goals fall above or below a set line, usually 2.5.

Both Teams to Score (BTTS). Yes or no on whether both teams find the net. Independent of the final result.

Correct Score. Pick the exact full-time scoreline. Common prices are 1-0, 2-1, and 1-1. Also available as "Halftime/Fulltime Correct Score" for combined half-time and full-time scorelines.

Exact Goals. Pick the exact number of goals scored in the match.

Goal Range. Pick a range (0-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7+) for total goals.

Odd / Even. Pick whether total goal count finishes odd or even.

Multigoals. Pick a range with both a lower and upper bound (e.g. 1-3, 2-4).

First Goal / Last Goal. Pick which team scores the first or last goal of the match, including a "no goal" option. First-goal markets also include 10-minute and 15-minute interval variants (when will the first goal be scored).

Highest Scoring Half. Pick whether the first half, second half, or neither produces more goals.

Team-specific markets

These markets appear once per team on each fixture, with the team name swapped in. On the Mexico vs South Africa opener, for example, Goated shows "Mexico total" and "South Africa total" as separate markets:

• Team total. Goals scored by one named team, over/under a line.
• Team exact goals. Exact number of goals scored by one named team.
• Team multigoals. Goal range for one named team.
• Team odd / even. Odd or even goal count for one named team.
• Team clean sheet. Yes or no on whether one named team concedes zero goals.
• Team win to nil. One named team wins without conceding.
• Team to win both halves. One named team leads at half-time and full-time.
• Team to score in both halves. One named team scores in both halves.
• Team highest scoring half. Which half a named team scores more goals in.
• Team to win either half. One named team wins at least one half.
• Which team to score. Pick first team / second team / both / neither to find the net.

Handicap markets

Handicap. A goal advantage or deficit applied to one team to balance the match. Common lines are +/- 1.5 or +/- 2.5. Used when one side is heavily favoured.

Handicap 0:1. Asian-style fractional handicap with a one-goal head-start to the underdog.

Combination markets

Combination markets bundle two outcomes into a single bet for higher payout:

• 1X2 & Total (match result + goals over/under)
• 1X2 & Both Teams to Score
• Total & Both Teams to Score
• Double Chance & Total
• Double Chance & Both Teams to Score
• First Goal & 1X2 (who scores first plus who wins)
• Double Chance (Match) & 1st Half Both Teams Score
• Double Chance (Match) & 2nd Half Both Teams Score

Half-by-half markets

Every market above is also available as a 1st-half-only or 2nd-half-only variant, settled at the half-time or full-time whistle of the relevant period. That includes half-specific 1X2, total, handicap, double chance, draw no bet, both teams to score, correct score, exact goals, first goal, odd/even, and all team-specific markets (1st half clean sheet, 1st half team total, and so on).

Goated platform features

Same Game Multi (SGM). Combine up to 20 selections within a single fixture into one bet, for example home win + over 2.5 goals + named player to score. Combined odds are priced by a trader rather than multiplied directly.

Multi (parlay). Combine selections across different fixtures. Adds automatically when two or more events are selected. MultiPay boost applies an additional multiplier on multi bets with four or more legs, scaling up to 1.5x the multi odds.

System bets. Trixie, Patent, Yankee, and Lucky 15 cover multiple combinations across three or more selections. A Patent is seven bets from three selections (3 singles + 3 doubles + 1 treble); a Yankee is eleven bets from four. Useful when a bettor is confident in several picks and wants partial protection if one misses.

Cashout. Lock in a partial settlement on a pending bet before its final outcome resolves. Two-click confirmation. The cashout offer decays toward zero as the outcome moves against the bet.

Live odds and the full markets list for each individual fixture appear in the betting table at the top of this page.

How do you bet on the World Cup responsibly?

Tournament weeks drive elevated betting activity, with longer session lengths and higher stake totals than normal football weeks. Set a tournament-specific budget before the opening match on June 11. Use the in-account pause control on Goated to enforce a break if a session runs long. Take real breaks between matches rather than rolling continuously through in-play markets.

Sports betting availability may vary depending on local laws and jurisdiction.

Warning signs of problem gambling include chasing losses, spending more than planned, and hiding bets from family or partners. Free, confidential support is available 24/7:

• BeGambleAware: 0808 8020 133 (UK)
• National Council on Problem Gambling: 1-800-GAMBLER (US)
• GamCare: UK national helpline and live chat
• GAMSTOP: free self-exclusion across UK-licensed operators

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