The world's biggest football tournament is coming to your screen!
The World Cup takes place every four years, and this year it’s bigger and better than ever! Summer 2026 will see a huuuuuuge number of teams leaving everything on the pitch to become world champs of the sport. So, let’s get those football tops on and dig into the biggest event in the sports calendar!
This year the competition will be held across The USA, Mexico, and Canada! This is the first time that the tournament will be held across THREE different nations!
That’s not all though, as we will also see a record number of countries competing, with 48 teams taking part this year up from the usual 32! That means a whole lot more footie to feast your eyes upon and enjoy. There will be 12 four-team groups, and because of that we get an extra knockout round! Don’t mind if I do!
This year we’ll see Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan compete in the World Cup for the first time. Fun fact: Curaçao is the smallest ever nation to qualify! Qatar also returns to the competition with a successful qualifying campaign after making their debut in the previous World Cup as hosts.
Who has qualified for the 2026 Fifa World Cup so far?
The road to 2026 has been a wild ride, and the lineup is finally starting to take shape! We’ve seen established giants secure their spots alongside some fantastic surprise packages making history. It’s going to be a truly global celebration of the sport.
Here are the nations that have booked their tickets so far:
Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Colombia, Croatia, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, United States, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan.
That’s a whole lot of countries! With six more places still up for grabs, four will qualify through the UEFA Play-offs, while the final two spots will be decided in the high-stakes Inter-Confederation Play-offs.
Who are England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland playing in the World Cup?
England are in Group L (hopefully that doesn’t mean they’ll be taking one!) in with, Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.
Thomas Tuchel and Harry Kane will hope to have a successful start with the first match taking place in Dallas, on Wednesday 17th June against Croatia. They’ll be looking for revenge as Croatia knocked them out in the semi-finals in 2018! You’ll be able to tune in at 9pm in the UK.
Scotland are in Group C in with, Haiti, Morocco and Brazil.
The Scots will play their first game against Haiti in Boston on Friday 19th June, this is a later one so get the brews ready, at 11pm in the UK!
Wales and Northern Ireland face a slightly more difficult path to qualify, with only one nation out of the two being able to qualify and join Qatar and Switzerland in Group B. Amongst the other 14 teams, Wales will have to win against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Northern Ireland will face Italy. If both teams are successful, they will face each other to decide who goes through.
Who are the favourites to win the 2026 World Cup?
Argentina previously won in 2022, bringing their winning tally to three victories at the World Cup. They beat France in penalties, after an intense final that finished 3-3 and lasted the full 120 minutes! So with that in mind they will definitely be serious contenders looking to do the double and secure another victorious World Cup Campaign.
The Opta Supercomputer has produced its favourites earlier in December so here are the current predictions and where each of the top 5 Nations come out! Opta's "Supercomputer" simulates thousands of matches and results to calculate the probability of results, such as in competitions like the World Cup!
- 1st. Spain – 17.0%
- 2nd. France – 14.1%
- 3rd. England – 11.8%
- 4th. Argentina – 8.7%
- 5th. Germany – 7.1%
Is there going to be a half-time show during the final of the World Cup?
Yes! While the details haven’t been confirmed, President Gianni Infantino made an announcement to say there would be a performance. He might have also revealed that Chris Martin the lead singer of Coldplay will be curating a suuuuuper special lineup.
A usual football half time lasts 15 minutes, but it’s worth noting that similar finals such as the Superbowl this year lasted around 30 minutes for equipment and stages to be set up!
Where is the next World Cup taking place?
Fifa announced that Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will co-host the next World Cup in 2030. It will also be the 100th anniversary of the World Cup so we’re expecting a big competition!
When is the 2026 Fifa World Cup?
The tournament officially kicks off on June 11, 2026, with the opening match held at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The competition will run for 39 days, culminating in the grand final on July 19, 2026, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
So, whether you’re cheering on the home nations or scouting out the tournament’s underdogs, Freely is the ultimate home for every cross, corner, and scream-at-the-screen moment this summer. Why? Because we make it easy. No more faffing with subscriptions or cable bills—just all the live action from the BBC and ITV in one place.
Grab your snacks, settle into your favourite spot, and get ready to experience the World Cup, Freely.
