The Biggest World Cup Ever: How the New 2026 Format Works

48 teams, 104 matches and an extra knockout round: the 2026 World Cup will be bigger, longer and much harder to predict.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opens a new chapter. For the first time, 48 teams will take part, with matches played across the United States, Canada and Mexico. In total, the tournament features 104 games - from the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on June 11 in Mexico City to the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium.

The format has changed significantly. Instead of eight groups of four, there will now be twelve groups of four. The top two teams from each group advance, along with the eight best third-place teams. That means 32 nations will move into the first knockout round.

For the teams, this changes the rhythm of the tournament. A poor start may not be fatal, and a strong third-place finish could still be enough to move on. At the same time, it creates more calculations, more open scenarios and probably more debates about who truly deserves to go through.

That is exactly what makes the 2026 World Cup especially interesting for the ProXES prediction game. More matches mean more chances to score points - but also more ways to get a prediction wrong. Underdogs get a bigger stage, favorites have to stay focused for longer, and the new Round of 32 can turn everything upside down early.

So here we go: anyone aiming for the top will need soccer knowledge, good timing and sometimes the right gut feeling. In the end, it is not only about glory and bragging rights - awards will go to the best prediction team and the top three individual players. So it is well worth being wide awake from the very first match.

Image source: Sportschau / ARD, “2026 World Cup bracket”