The countdown has ended for one of football's biggest events, the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament, jointly hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada, will kick off tonight with the match between Mexico and South Africa.
The opening match will take place at the 83,000-capacity Mexico City Stadium at 22:00 TRT and will be broadcast live on TRT 1. This match also recalls the opening of the 2010 World Cup, which began 16 years ago in South Africa.
New 48-team format to be used for the first time
The 2026 World Cup will be played for the first time in history with 12 groups and 48 teams. Each team will play three matches in the group stage.
The top two teams in each group will advance directly to the round of 32. The best third-placed teams will also have a chance to continue in the tournament.
A total of 104 matches will be played throughout the tournament. Matches will be held in 16 different stadiums across the three host countries.
Final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium
The tournament final will be held on Sunday, July 19, at the New York New Jersey Stadium. The event brings together many countries from different continents, with several teams making their debut.
Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Jordan, and Cape Verde will appear in the World Cup for the first time. Europe will be the continent with the most teams represented in the tournament.
Turkey returns to the World Cup after 24 years
Turkey, which finished third in the 2002 World Cup, will participate in the tournament again after 24 years. The national team will face the USA, Australia, and Paraguay in Group D.
The matches in Group D will be among the most closely watched aspects of the tournament for Turkey. The national team's performance in the group stage will be closely followed by both the sports community and fans.
Economic expectations reach 11 billion dollars
FIFA expects the revenue from the 2026 World Cup to reach 11 billion dollars, up from the 7 billion dollars generated at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
The last World Cup was held in Qatar, where Argentina defeated France on penalties in the final to become champions.
