Direct answer: The FIFA World Cup (men’s and women’s tournaments) is held every four years.

Quick facts about the cycle

  • Frequency: every four years for both the men’s and women’s World Cups.
  • Historical exceptions: the tournament was not held in 1942 and 1946 because of World War II; otherwise the four‑year cycle has been maintained since inception.
  • Purpose of the gap: the four‑year interval allows time for regional qualifying tournaments and for host planning, logistics, and preparation.

Timing and near‑term schedule

  • The World Cup traditionally takes place in the northern‑hemisphere summer, though some editions (for weather or host reasons) have been scheduled at other times (for example, Qatar 2022 in November–December).
  • After the 2022 tournament, the next men’s World Cup was scheduled for 2026.

Short explanation (why every four years)

  • Quadrennial scheduling preserves prestige by making each edition relatively rare, gives nations time to qualify, and gives hosts time to build infrastructure and prepare.

Mini timeline example

  1. 1930 — inaugural tournament.
  1. 1942 & 1946 — skipped due to World War II.
  1. 1950 onward — resumed and continued on a four‑year cycle.

Bottom note
Information gathered from public sources and widely reported coverage of the FIFA World Cup.