how many teams will be in the 2026 world cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams in total.

Core format

• The tournament is expanding from 32 to 48 participating national teams , making it the largest World Cup so far.

• These 48 teams will be split into 12 groups of 4 , with group matches followed by an expanded knockout phase.

Knockout phase overview

• From the 12 groups, the top two teams in each group plus the eight best third-placed teams will advance, creating a round of 32.

• This new structure adds one extra knockout round compared with the old 32‑team format, increasing the total number of matches.

TL;DR: If you’re wondering how many teams will be in the 2026 World Cup , the answer is 48 national teams taking part in the tournament.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.