The 2026 World Cup is the largest in history — 48 teams, 104 matches, and a format that changes how teams reach the knockouts. If you are new to it, here is how it works.
The group stage. The 48 nations are split into 12 groups of four. Each team plays the other three once, so everyone gets three group games. Simple enough so far.
Who goes through. This is the new bit. The top two from every group advance — that is 24 teams — plus the eight best third-placed teams across the tournament. That makes 32 into the knockouts, and it means a side can finish third with a single win and still progress.
The Round of 32. For the first time, the knockouts begin with a Round of 32 rather than the Round of 16. From there it is classic single-elimination: Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final, with a third-place play-off on the side.
For the Caribbean, the maths matters: the expanded field is exactly why Haiti and Curaçao are here. Follow every result on our schedule and read up on the stars to watch.