FIFA’s 2026 World Cup is being billed as the biggest edition of the tournament, with 48 teams, 104 matches and three host nations across North America. The expansion means more fixtures, more cities and a much larger travel footprint than any previous men’s World Cup.

The tournament will be spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico, making it a multi-country trip for many fans and increasing the importance of border and visa planning.

Five key facts stand out. First, the tournament will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Second, 48 teams will take part, up from 32 in the 2022 World Cup. Third, 104 matches will be staged, compared with 64 in the previous men’s finals. Fourth, the event will be co-hosted by 16 cities: 11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico and 2 in Canada.

Those host cities include major gateways such as New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Toronto, Vancouver, Mexico City and Guadalajara, creating a wide geographic spread for spectators. That should reduce pressure on any single city but also make intercity travel a bigger part of the fan experience.

FIFA has said the format will feature 12 groups of four teams, with the top two sides in each group advancing along with the best eight third-placed teams. The enlarged knockout stage is one of the main reasons for the jump in match numbers.

The tournament will also be the first men’s World Cup to be staged across three countries and the first to use the expanded 48-team format. For airlines, that raises the prospect of concentrated demand on transborder and domestic routes, while hotels in host cities are likely to see sharp price swings around key matches.

Fans planning to attend will need to factor in the different entry rules for the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as possible changes in airport congestion, rail usage and local transport capacity close to venues. The scale of the event means itineraries may be more complex than at any previous World Cup.