The 2026 edition will be larger than anything the competition has seen before.
Previous tournaments from 1998 to 2022 included 32 nations and 64 fixtures in total. This time, the event expands to 48 participants and 104 matches. Merely trimming the field to 32 sides will already require 72 fixtures, which is eight more than the entire schedule of a 32-team format.
Although three countries are co-hosting, the United States will stage far more than any other nation has ever managed in a single competition. It will host 14 more fixtures than the previous record and 26 more than it did when the event came to its soil in 1994.
The first 27 days of action, from the curtain raiser through the last-32 round, will feature 96 contests without a single rest day. Only one day will stage a solitary clash, and two other days will include two fixtures. All the remaining 24 days will deliver between three and six matches.
By the final week of the group stage, the calendar will be jam-packed. From June 24 to 27, 18 games will be played—more than the entire total of the 1934 edition, which only had 17.
The abandoned plan of three-team groups
Originally, FIFA had considered creating 16 trios instead of 12 groups of four.
That plan would have produced 80 fixtures in total, noticeably fewer than 104. It would also have been simpler to follow, with the two best teams moving straight into the round of 32 to face each other in a clear bracket.
However, every team would only have been assured two matches, not three. More importantly, the structure would have been vulnerable to manipulation. With three-team groups, only three fixtures could be played, and no two at the same time. That meant one team would always complete its games earlier, leaving the final fixture open to scenarios where both sides knew exactly what outcome would secure progress.
The risk of collusion across 16 groups proved too significant, and the plan was eventually dropped despite its more compact design.
The adopted system of 12 groups of four
Instead, the competition will use 12 sections of four, echoing the approach of earlier tournaments such as the 1986, 1990, and 1994 World Cups, or more recent 24-team European Championships.
The formula is straightforward: the top two from each group advance, and they are joined by the eight best third-placed nations to complete the last 32.
It is less tidy than the three-team plan, but it ensures fairness and avoids the controversies that might have arisen otherwise.
The expanded knockout rounds
Once the field has been reduced to 32, the knockout journey follows a familiar path. The difference is simply scale.
Group winners will mostly be paired against third-placed finishers, although four of them will meet runners-up. Meanwhile, the remaining runners-up will be matched against each other.
From there, the tournament progresses in the traditional order: round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final.
For the first time, the eventual champion will need to play eight matches rather than seven, adding one extra step on the road to lifting the trophy.
The 2026 men’s World Cup will be the largest edition of the event. A total of 48 nations will be involved, 16 more than the tournament held in Qatar in 2022.
It will also be staged across three countries for the very first time. The contest is scheduled to begin on June 11, 2026, and will finish on July 19, 2026.
This will be the 23rd running of the championship.
Final match and entertainment
FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed that the deciding game will feature a musical performance during the interval. Coldplay will take part in the show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
The idea is based on the Super Bowl tradition in the United States.
Host cities and stadiums
The matches will be spread across 16 different locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This will be the first time three nations share organizing duties.
The last World Cup in North America was held in 1994, when the United States was the host.
United states
Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas (94,000)
New York/New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey (82,500)
Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia (75,000)
Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri (73,000)
Houston Stadium, Houston, Texas (72,000)
San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California (71,000)
Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California (70,000)
Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (69,000)
Seattle Stadium, Seattle, Washington (69,000)
Boston Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts (65,000)
After experiencing his first loss as the coach of Italy, Gennaro Gattuso expressed his apologies to the fans, who filled the San Siro / Meazza with 70,000 supporters (setting a record for attendance at a national team match) to support the Azzurri.
Gattuso remarked: “The outcome is quite disappointing. It’s unfortunate because we had a strong first half, but we faced difficulties in the second half. That’s what we regret the most. The match took a turn for the worse after their initial shot; maybe we became apprehensive, which shouldn’t occur. We owe an apology to our fans and also want to commend them.”
Group I Standings:
Norway, 24 points (eight games played), ITALY, 18 points (eight), Israel, nine points (seven), Estonia, four points (eight), Moldova, one point (seven).
We owe an apology to our fans
World Cup Qualifiers Group I 🇮🇹 Italy 1 – 4 Norway 🇳🇴
Sunday 16 November 2025
San Siro Stadium
Milan, Italy
20:45
Referee: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández ESP.
Assistant Referee 1: José Enrique Naranjo Pérez ESP.
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sánchez Rojo ESP.
Fourth Official: José María Sánchez Martínez ESP.
Video Assistant Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande ESP.
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP.
UEFA Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman NED.
UEFA Delegate: Iain Blair SCO.
Italy vs Norway Official Lineups, Sunday 16 November 2025, World Cup Qualifiers
Italy – Norway
Here are Italy vs Norway official starting lineups on Sunday, November 16, 2025, in the World Cup Qualifiers at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy. The game starts at 20:45.
🇮🇹 Lineup ITALIA (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni; Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Frattesi, Dimarco; Retegui, Francesco Pio Esposito.
World Cup Qualifiers Group I 🇮🇹 Italy – Norway 🇳🇴
Sunday 16 November 2025
San Siro Stadium
Milan, Italy
20:45
Referee: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández ESP.
Assistant Referee 1: José Enrique Naranjo Pérez ESP.
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sánchez Rojo ESP.
Fourth Official: José María Sánchez Martínez ESP.
Video Assistant Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande ESP.
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP.
UEFA Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman NED.
UEFA Delegate: Iain Blair SCO.
Result Italy 1 – 4 Norway, Sunday 16 November 2025, World Cup Qualifiers
Italy 1 – 4 Norway
11′ Francesco Pio Esposito 63′ Antonio Nusa
. 78′ Erling Haaland
. 79′ Erling Haaland
. 93′ Jorgen Strand Larsen
Nothing to do now, as Italy has collapsed and is now waiting for the playoffs. Italy faced a setback against Norway on Sunday, November 16, 2025, during the World Cup Qualifiers. Fans were left disappointed at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy. The journey towards the 2026 World Cup has officially begun!
Italy faced a challenging home loss in front of 70,000 fans. Unfortunately, Francesco Pio Esposito’s goal wasn’t sufficient. Norway equalized with a goal from Antonio Nusa. Erling Haaland wreaked havoc on Italy’s defense, scoring 2 goals. Jørgen Strand Larsen completed the scoring with a poker. The final score was 4-1. Now, we look ahead to the playoffs, hoping to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. It’s disappointing to have such a poor result.
Gattuso expressed his regrets to the supporters: “It was a difficult outcome, a pity because we played well in the first half.”
Group I Standings: Norway, 24 points (eight games played), ITALY, 18 points (eight), Israel, nine points (seven), Estonia, four points (eight), Moldova, one point (seven).
What to expect?
Coach Gennaro Gattuso has achieved victory in all of his first five matches as Italy’s head coach. Gattuso matches the win total of Edmondo Fabbri from 1962 to 1963 and Azeglio Vicini from 1986 to 1987. In the history of the senior national team, no coach has ever accomplished six wins in their first six matches as Italy’s coach.
🇮🇹 Italy 1 – 0 Norway 🇳🇴
⚽️ Italy gained the upper hand in the 11th minute. Francesco Pio Esposito found the net with a right-footed strike. Ryerson fumbled the ball in the penalty area, allowing Federico Dimarco to set up Esposito perfectly. Although the Inter player was facing away from the goal, he skillfully turned and outsmarted the Norwegian goalkeeper, Ørjan Nyland. The Azzurri are in the lead!
⚽️ Norway leveled the score in the 63rd minute with a goal from Antonio Nusa. The Leipzig player showcased his skills by gathering the ball in the attacking midfield after a clever dummy from Thorstvedt, sidestepping Giovanni Di Lorenzo, executing a double step past Matteo Politano, and unleashing a left-footed shot that went past Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma for the equalizer.
⚽️ In the 78th minute, Erling Haaland scores. Norway also manages to turn the tables with Haaland’s left-footed volley that beats Donnarumma after Bobb’s pass from the left. A fantastic move by Nusa sets up the City midfielder, who then provides the assist.
🇮🇹 Italy 1 – 3 Norway 🇳🇴
⚽️ In the 79th minute, Erling Haaland scores with a left-footed shot. The City striker beats Mancini to Thorsby’s pass. It all started with Bastoni’s loose ball, which gave the Norwegians possession.
⚽️ In the dying moments of the match, specifically the 93rd minute, Jorgen Strand Larsen netted the fourth goal. The visitors then took control, with the Wolverhampton striker being assisted by Morten Thorsby, who skillfully maneuvered past Gianluca Mancini before finding the back of the net with his left foot. This result is disappointing for Italy, who now look ahead to the playoffs.
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma
What is the current status regarding the 2026 World Cup Qualifications?
The 12 group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup. The runners-up will take part in the play-offs, alongside the four highest-ranked group winners from the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League who did not finish their European Qualifiers group stage in the top two positions. As of now, Italy has clinched a playoff position, having secured second place in Group I.
Player Statistics
👉 Mateo Retegui has netted four goals in his last two home matches for the national team; the most recent player to achieve at least five goals in three consecutive home games for Italy was Filippo Inzaghi, who did so between 2003 and 2006 (including a hat-trick, a brace, and a single goal).
👉 Francesco Pio Esposito, in the previous match against Moldova, scored his second goal for the senior national team at just 20 years and 138 days old. If he manages to score again against Norway, he will become the fourth-youngest player to net a third goal for Italy (20 years, 141 days at the time of the match), following Giuseppe Meazza (19 years, 191 days), Mario Corso (20 years, 71 days), and Gianni Rivera (20 years, 84 days).
✅Statistics BEFORE the game.
Italy has secured victory in 10 out of their 18 past encounters with Norway (D4 L4), with their latest defeat being a 3-0 loss in June 2025. The Azzurri have never faced back-to-back losses against the Norwegians.
Italy’s only home defeat to Norway occurred during their first match (1-2 on September 25, 1985, in a friendly): since that time, Italy has triumphed in three and drawn two of their subsequent five home games against the Scandinavian side.
In their last match against Norway, Italy conceded three goals, matching the total they allowed in their previous eight games (which included five clean sheets). The Azzurri are at risk of going two consecutive matches without scoring against Norway for the first time since a stretch of two games between 1999 and 2000.
Norway has claimed victory in their last four away matches, netting 14 goals while allowing just three. The Scandinavian squad has never managed five straight away wins, having previously reached four on four occasions (1995, 1999, 2005, and 2010).
Italy has won their last three home games in World Cup qualifying without letting in a goal and has not recorded at least four consecutive home wins with clean sheets in such matches since the period of 1997–2001 (a streak that extended to five).
World Cup Qualifiers Group I 🇮🇹 Italy 1 – 4 Norway 🇳🇴
Sunday 16 November 2025
San Siro Stadium
Milan, Italy
20:45
Referee: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández ESP.
Assistant Referee 1: José Enrique Naranjo Pérez ESP.
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sánchez Rojo ESP.
Fourth Official: José María Sánchez Martínez ESP.
Video Assistant Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande ESP.
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP.
UEFA Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman NED.
UEFA Delegate: Iain Blair SCO.
⚽️ Goals: 11′ Francesco Pio Esposito (I), 63′ Antonio Nusa (N), 78′, 79′ Erling Haaland, 93′ Jørgen Strand Larsen (N)
