World Cup groups: What teams are in 2026 tournament?

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World Cup groups: What teams are in 2026 tournament?

World Cup 2026 prize money: What do teams get for playing in tournament?

Jesse Yomtov, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Fri, May 15, 2026 ·

1 min read

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The 2026 World Cup is less than a month away, with the entire planet preparing for the tournament being held in North America this summer.

This edition of the World Cup includes a dramatic expansion from 32 to 48 teams, adding four new groups and a Round of 32 in the knockout stage that previously began with the last 16. The 2026 World Cup divides the 48 teams into 12 four-team groups (Groups A-L) with each country playing a game against the others in its group.

The expanded single-elimination knockout stage means that not only will the top two teams in each group advance, but also the eight best third-place finishers. There are nearly 500 possible matchups in the Round of 32 according to FIFA and there should be chaos in the final days of the group stage as teams jockey for position.

Here's a look at the groups for the World Cup: