2026 World Cup Expands to 48 Teams and 104 Matches as Heat, Travel Test Players

3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 9

Thirty-nine days, 104 matches and 48 nations will make the 2026 World Cup the biggest ever, with more than 5 million fans expected and FIFA targeting $9 billion in revenue.
That expansion, approved in 2017 and later paired with a retained three-game group stage, means title contenders may need to play eight matches instead of seven.
North American summer conditions add strain: World Weather Attribution said roughly a quarter of games are likely to face heat and humidity that hinder cooling, while teams also confront long flights, four time zones and varying altitudes.
FIFA plans hydration breaks, climate-controlled benches and more centralized group-stage travel, but player representatives and coaches still warn the longer event could become a test of endurance rather than pure quality.
The wider field opens doors for smaller nations such as Curaçao and boosts Africa, Asia and Concacaf representation, even as critics say it dilutes qualifying drama and may thin the group stage's elite matchups.