The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be one of a kind when it kicks off on 11 June, as it brings with it a slew of firsts ahead of co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa in the opening match.
This year's tournament which will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States boasts of being the largest so far in the history of the tournament.
It also brings with it a record number of travel (teams have to travel across an entire continet), new rules including mandatory hydration breaks, and the most controversial yet as teams, referees and fans naviagate complex visa rules of host country USA.
Nevertheless, here are five new things to look out for over the next month.
The 2026 tournament will feature 48 teams, up from 32 in previous editions.
The teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two sides from each group and the eight best third-placed teams progressing to the Round of 32.
The expanded format has opened the door for several newcomers. Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde and Curaçao will all be making their World Cup debuts.
Fun Fact: Curaçao are the smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup with a population of around 156,000 people.
It’s pretty annoying when a player is substituted and they literally take ages to walk off, right?
Well, a new rule aimed at reducing time-wasting will require substituted players to leave the pitch within 10 seconds using the nearest exit point.
If a player fails to do so, their replacement will have to wait at least one minute until the next stoppage in play before being waved on by the referee.
Meaning a player taking too long to leave the pitch could leave their team down to 10 men.
FIFA will introduce enhanced semi-automated offside technology to help speed up decision-making.
Now a real-time audio alert will be sent to the assistant if a player is more than 10cm offside. But VAR will still be there to help referees when players are a toenail or strand of hair offside.
Police in Mexico plan to deploy robotic dogs during the tournament as part of efforts to improve security.
The four-legged machines are designed to enter potentially dangerous areas and transmit live video back to officers, allowing them to assess situations before intervening.
The purpose of the robot dogs is “to protect the physical safety of officers”, Guadalupe Mayor Héctor García said.
This year’s final will have an NFL Super Bowl-style half-time show for the first time.
Well the final is in New York’s MetLife Stadium.
If you’re not a massive football fan but want to see BTS, Madonna and Shakira perform, then put the 19 July down in your diary.
The 2026 tournament could mark the final World Cup appearances for some of the best players to ever play the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, Luka Modrić, 40, Lionel Messi, 39, Robert Lewandowski, 37 – this summer could be their last dance.
For Ronaldo and Messi, in particular, it may represent one last chance to add to their remarkable legacies on football's biggest stage.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is a good chance” of reaching a deal with Iran, but warned that Washington would resume military operation if negotiations fail.
The Russia-Ukraine war is increasingly reshaping the Caspian region. From threats to energy infrastructure to renewed diplomatic efforts, countries across the region are adapting to the wider consequences of a conflict that continues to disrupt trade, transport and security.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "good chance" of a deal with Tehran but warned strikes could resume if talks failed.
Moscow should stop linking Russia-Armenia relations to Azerbaijan, Baku's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada has said, after Russia again raised the Collective Security Treaty Organisation's role during the former Garabagh conflict.
The 27 July edition of Daybreak covers a pause in fighting between the U.S. and Iran, the latest developments in Russia's war against Ukraine, and mass evacuations as wildfires continue to spread across France and Spain.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday (28 July). While the White House described the talks as positive, Trump acknowledged ahead of the meeting that the two leaders had "a little difference" over Iran.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he held a productive meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, with talks focusing on air defence cooperation and efforts to advance diplomatic negotiations.
The diplomatic dispute over France's overseas territories is widening, with pro-independence leaders in the Caribbean and the Pacific rejecting claims by French lawmakers that Azerbaijan is interfering in France's internal affairs.
U.S. diplomats walked out of a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine after accusing France of making "disingenuous grandstanding" by comparing Washington with North Korea, Russia and other authoritarian states.
Meteorologists in China have used a swarm of drones to observe Typhoon Noul as it passed through Guangdong province, aiming to improve weather monitoring and forecasting during extreme storms.
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