Tonight, the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup kicks off with the match between Mexico and South Africa and runs until July 19.
This year’s tournament brings plenty of new and unusual features compared with what football fans have been used to in previous editions.
The host countries, kickoff times, number of participating teams and the tournament’s political dimension are just some of them. That’s why we’re here — to put everything in order.
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The term “Mundial” comes from the Spanish word Mundial, meaning “worldwide” or “global.” In English, the tournament is known as the World Cup.
The World Cup is the most important international football tournament and has been held every four years since 1930, with the exceptions of 1942 and 1946, when it was cancelled because of World War II.
Two years before each World Cup, qualifying matches begin between national teams from every continent. The strongest teams from each region then secure their place in the tournament.
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This year’s tournament will be played across stadiums in three countries: Mexico, the United States and Canada.
That means matches will be split between the three hosts, while the final will take place in the United States, in New Jersey.
It is the first time in history that a World Cup is being hosted by three countries. The only previous edition staged in more than one country was in 2002, when South Korea and Japan co-hosted the tournament.
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The biggest change this year is the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams. Since the 1998 World Cup in France, the competition had featured 32 teams.
The first World Cup in history, held in Uruguay in 1930, featured just 13 teams.
For viewers in Greece, the time difference with Mexico, the United States and Canada means that matches are generally scheduled late at night, very late at night, or in the early hours of the morning.
We say “late at night, very late at night, or early in the morning” because matches are NOT all played at the same time.
Examples:
11.06 Mexico – South Africa 22:00
12.06 South Korea – Czech Republic 05:00
13.06 United States – Paraguay 04:00
14.06 Brazil – Morocco 01:00
14.06 Germany – Curaçao 20:00
The 48 teams are divided into 12 groups of four teams. Each team will play three matches, facing each of the other teams in its group once.
The top two teams from each group, based on points earned (three points for a win, one point for a draw), along with the eight best third-placed teams, advance to the next round.
From that point onward, the tournament becomes knockout football: single-elimination matches in which winners advance and losers are eliminated.
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia, Portugal
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
Amid the US-Israeli war against Iran, Iran’s national team has complained that 15 members of its delegation were denied visas and that ticket allocations for the team’s group-stage matches were revoked.
The team will also only be allowed to enter the United States on matchdays and will otherwise stay in Tijuana, Mexico, which serves as its base camp.
Amid President Donald Trump’s aggressive border policies, Iraqi player A. Hussein was detained and questioned for nearly seven hours at the airport.
The United States denied entry to World Cup referee Omar Artan of Somalia.
Swiss player Breel Embolo experienced visa issues that delayed his travel, while members of South Africa’s delegation also faced difficulties.
Uzbekistan’s delegation was searched using explosive-detection dogs, members of Senegal’s delegation were required to remove their shoes and underwent lengthy security checks, while visa applications submitted by many supporters — including Scottish fans — were rejected after they had already purchased match tickets.
Οι ΗΠΑ αρνήθηκαν σε έναν διαιτητή του Μουντιάλ, τον Omar Artan από τη Σομαλία, να εισέλθει στη χώρα.
Ο Ελβετός παίκτης B. Embolo είχε θέμα με τη βίζα του και άργησε να ταξιδέψει, το ίδιο και μέλη της αποστολής της Ν. Αφρικής.
Η αποστολή του Ουζμπεκιστάν ελέγχθηκε με σκύλους ανίχνευσης εκρηκτικών, τα μέλη της αποστολής της Σενεγάλης υποχρεώθηκαν να βγάλουν τα παπούτσια τους και υποβλήθηκαν σε πολύωρους ελέγχους, ενώ οι αιτήσεις για βίζα πολλών οπαδών π.χ. της Σκωτίας απορρίφθηκαν μετά την αγορά εισιτηρίων.
