FIFA World Cup 2026, Cheat Sheet: All You Need To Know About Quadrennial In USA, CAN, MEX

Last Updated:June 10, 2026, 08:00 IST

The global showpiece makes its way to the USA, Mexico and Canada as North America ventures on the most ambitious iteration of the quadrennial spectacle.

FIFA World Cup 2026 is right around the corner as the global showpiece makes its way to the USA, Mexico and Canada as North America ventures on the most ambitious iteration of the quadrennial spectacle.

The contest is the first time 48 teams will fight it out for the glittery trophy at the finals of the event. The tournament will also boast of a whooping 104 games, the highest ever in the history of the competition.

The participants have been pooled into groups of four, in a dozen pools, with the top-two from each group moving directly into the knockouts, while eight other teams also stand the chance to progress by virtue of being among the top third-placed sides across the groups.

The Groups

Group A: Czechia, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea

Group B: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Qatar, Switzerland

Group C: Brazil, Haiti, Morocco, Scotland

Group D: Australia, Paraguay, Turkiye, USA

Group E: Curacao, Ecuador, Germany, Ivory Coast

Group F: Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Tunisia

Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand

Group H: Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Uruguay

Group I: France, Iraq, Norway, Senegal

Group J: Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Jordan

Group K: Colombia, DR Congo, Portugal, Uzbekistan

Group L: Croatia, England, Ghana Panama

Team bases

Alabama: Australia

Arizona: Turkey

California: Austria (Santa Barbara), New Zealand (San Diego), Paraguay (San Jose), Qatar (Santa Barbara), Switzerland (San Diego)

Colorado: USA (Irvine)

Florida: Cabo Verde (Tampa), Curacao (Boca Raton), Portugal (Palm Beach Gardens)

Georgia: Uzbekistan (Atlanta)

Maryland: Croatia (Alexandria)

Massachusetts: France (Waltham)

Missouri/Kansas: Algeria (Lawrence), Argentina (Kansas City), England (Kansas City), Netherlands (Kansas City)

NY/NJ: Brazil, Haiti, Morocco, Senegal

North Carolina: Germany (Winston-Salem), Norway (Greensboro), Scotland (Charlotte)

Ohio: Ecuador

Pennsylvania: Ivory Coast (Chester)

Rhode Island: Ghana (Smithfield)

Tennesse: Japan (Nashville), Spain (Chattanooga)

Texas: DR Congo (Houston), Czechia (Mansfield), Saudi Arabia (Austin), Sweden (Frisco)

Utah: Bosnia and Herzegovina

Washington: Belgium (Renton), Egypt (Spokane), Jordan (Portland, OR)

West Virginia: Iraq

Canada: Canada (Vancouver), Panama (New Tecumseth)

Mexico: Colombia, Iran (Tijuana), Mexico (Mexico City), South Africa, South Korea, Uruguay

FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage fixtures

Trionda

The centrepiece of the special, the official match ball, the Trionda, pays homage to the three host nations. Trionda translates to ‘three waves’, and is one of the most unique and innovative design features of the spectacle.

It celebrates the first time three host countries come together to in an ambitious effort to organise the showpiece as the panels of the ball connect to form a triangle in the centre of the ball in a nod to the historic union of the three host nations.

It also displays iconographies that represents each host country, with an eagle for Mexico, maple leaf for Canada, and a star for the United States, while gold embellishments pay tribute to the glittering trophy.

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