According to the online economy report, quoted from football 360, The 2026 World Cup will start tonight at 22:30 in Mexico. Argentina enters the tournament as the defending champion. With 5 championships, Brazil is the most proud team in the history of this tournament; The World Cup will be held for the first time with the participation of 48 teams in 12 groups.
The first group; Mexico – South Korea – South Africa – Czech
the second group; Canada – Switzerland – Qatar – Bosnia and Herzegovina
The third group; Brazil – Morocco – Scotland – Haiti
The fourth group; America – Australia – Paraguay – Türkiye
The fifth group; Germany – Ecuador – Ivory Coast – Curacao
The sixth group; Netherlands – Japan – Tunisia – Sweden
the seventh group; Belgium – Iran – Egypt – New Zealand
The eighth group; Spain – Uruguay – Arabia – Cape Verde
The ninth group; France – Senegal – Norway – Iraq
10th group; Argentina – Austria – Algeria – Jordan
the eleventh group; Portugal – Colombia – Uzbekistan – Congo
The twelfth group; England – Croatia – Panama – Ghana
New teams
Out of the 48 teams participating in the 2026 World Cup, a total of 26 teams participated in the previous edition of this competition in Qatar.
The national teams of Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan are experiencing participation in the highest level of national football competitions for the first time.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Haiti are returning to this tournament after participating in the 1974 tournament and Iraq after the 1986 cup.
The most important absentees?
With an unexpected defeat against Bosnia, the Italian national team lost the chance to participate in the World Cup, and for the third consecutive time, Azzurri stars are watching the cup on TV. In addition to them, the teams of Poland, Ukraine and Russia also lost the chance to advance.
How many matches and how many days?
This year, there will be 72 matches in the group stage (24 games more than the previous structure) and 32 matches in the elimination stage (16 games more than the previous structure). The World Cup starts today, Thursday, June 21, and will continue until Sunday, July 28, thus lasting 39 days. However, we face a few days of rest between the final stages.
What is the time of the event?
This will probably be one of the worst World Cups to follow in West Asia. The matches are held at 17 different times and only 43 of the total 104 matches of the cup will be played before midnight Iran time. Most of the group round games, especially the games in the American West, last until the morning hours; Including 2 group round matches of Iran against New Zealand and Egypt.
Which country is the main host?
The World Cup will be held in 16 host cities; 2 cities in Canada, 3 cities in Mexico and 11 cities in America. Mexico and Canada each host 13 matches; Including all 3 matches in the group stage. From the quarter final stage onwards, all the matches will be held on American soil. 4 stadiums have movable roofs.
The way to climb the group?
The first and second teams of each group and the top 8 third teams go to the round of 16 and form the knockout structure of the 32-match World Cup. Obtaining 4 points is enough to advance with a 99% probability; Unless, in a rare event, all 4 teams get 4 points. According to the simulations, it seems that getting 3 points and zero goal difference is enough to advance as one of the top third teams. For example, Iran will have a chance to advance if it wins 2-0 against New Zealand and loses 1-0 against Belgium and Egypt.
What has changed in the rules?
This year, unlike the previous periods, in the group classification after the points, the head-to-head match will be the criterion and not the goal difference. Of course, in the comparative table of the third teams, the goal difference has its importance. New rules are in place at the World Cup to prevent time-wasting, and players are refereed as soon as they receive the ball to restart the match with a countdown. Also, the scope of VAR influence has increased and includes corners and second yellow cards.
What is the purpose of the group stage?
The previous World Cup ended with a total of 64 matches, but in the new round of these competitions, 72 matches will be held only in the group stage, and the final result is the elimination of 16 teams. Of course, the performance of the teams in the group stage determines their path in the elimination stage. The top teams of each group will not face each other until the round of 16. If a leading team faces one of the second teams in the first elimination round, it will be easy to face the leading teams until the quarter-finals.
Is the elimination stage table determined?
The initial and raw table of the elimination stage and the path of the teams to the finals have been determined to a large extent, but it is not yet complete because it has not been determined which third teams will go to the elimination stage. There are 495 math modes (choose 8 out of 12) to determine the third teams and in each mode the path of the third teams changes.
What is the story of climate problems?
The extreme heat creates problems for players, especially in European teams. In addition, storms and thunderstorms may disrupt the schedule of games. According to American rules, lightning within a radius of 8 kilometers of the stadium causes a 30-minute stoppage of the match, and the game resumes only 30 minutes after the last lightning strike received in this distance.
The role of politics in sports
16 members of the technical and managerial staff of the Iranian national team were unable to obtain visas to enter the United States. Players are able to travel to the city where the match is held only one day before the match. Omar Artan, a referee from Somalia, was banned from the United States on charges of being in contact with people suspected of being active in the Al-Shabaab militant group. Residents of 12 countries, including Iran and Haiti, do not have a chance to travel to this country, and players and fans have faced extensive inspections and severe restrictions upon arrival.
