The 2026 FIFA World Cup was held from June 11 to July 19, 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico – the first with 48 teams and 104 matches. Spain are world champions: in the final at MetLife Stadium near New York they beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win their second World Cup after 2010.
On average 2.96 goals were scored per match. 72 matches were played in the group stage and 32 in the knockout rounds.
Spain opened with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, then won all of their remaining seven matches and conceded only one goal in the entire tournament.
In the semi-finals Spain beat France 2-0 and Argentina defeated England 2-1. The third-place match turned into a goal fest, with England beating France 6-4. In the final on July 19, Ferran Torres scored the only goal in extra time.
All 104 matches in the World Cup schedule »
France's Kylian Mbappé finished as top scorer of the 2026 World Cup with 10 goals, ahead of Lionel Messi (8 goals), who led Argentina to the final.
All scorers, assists and cards »
Germany opened with a 7-1 win over Curaçao, beat Ivory Coast 2-1 and lost 1-2 to Ecuador. In the round of 32 they went out to Paraguay on penalties (3-4) after a 1-1 draw after extra time. Austria reached the knockout stage after a 3-1 win over Jordan, a 0-2 defeat to Argentina and a 3-3 draw with Algeria, then lost 0-3 to eventual champions Spain. Switzerland went furthest: after wins over Algeria (2-0) and Colombia (on penalties) they only lost 1-3 after extra time to Argentina in the quarter-finals.
The 2026 World Cup was the first with 48 teams and the first with three host nations. The group stage had 12 groups of four; the top two of each group and the eight best third-placed teams reached the new round of 32. From there it went through the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals to the final – the champions played eight matches in total.
All world champions since 1930 in our World Cup history »
Spain won the 2026 World Cup. In the final on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium, Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time – Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute. It is Spain's second World Cup title after 2010.
The 2026 World Cup ran from June 11 to July 19, 2026 – 39 days in total. All matches and results are in the World Cup schedule.
Hosts Mexico played South Africa in the opening match on June 11, 2026 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Mexico won 2-0.
The 2026 World Cup had 104 matches – 72 in the group stage and 32 in the knockout rounds. 308 goals were scored, just under three per match.
Matches were played in 16 stadiums in three countries: eleven in the USA, three in Mexico and two in Canada. The final took place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford near New York. All venues: 2026 World Cup stadiums.
Kylian Mbappé (France) won the Golden Boot with 10 goals, ahead of Lionel Messi (8) and Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham (7 each). More in the World Cup statistics.
Germany reached the knockout stage after wins over Curaçao (7-1) and Ivory Coast (2-1) and a 1-2 defeat to Ecuador, but went out to Paraguay on penalties in the round of 32 (1-1 aet, 3-4 on penalties).