By Sulaimon Jamiu
In the wake of FIFA’s announcement of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup, here are 10 things you should know about the next edition of the biggest football competition.
1. The 2026 World Cup will be the 23rd edition of the ultimate football tournament.
2. This will be the first time in history that three countries will jointly host the tournament. The last time the competition was hosted jointly was Korea/Japan, in 2002.
3. The tourney will see an increment of participating teams from 32 to 48 teams, making it the second time the number of participants will be increased. It was initially 24 teams.
4. The last time the competition was hosted in America was at U.S.A., in 1994.
5. Of all the match venues, the biggest stadium is Los Angeles’ Rose Bowl with a capacity of 88,565 people, according to Wikipedia.
6. A total of 80 matches will be played — the highest number in the history of the competition.
7. The 2026 World Cup will see 16 groups, each made up of three countries.
8. There must be a winner in every group match, hence, if the match ends in draw, the teams proceed to penalty shootout without going into extra time.
9. The top two teams in each group will advance to the round of 32, where half of them will survive and advance to the round of 16.
10. Four teams will advance to the semifinals and two of them will compete for the ultimate prize, the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy, and gold medal.
