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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Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Russia is open to listening to new proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russian diplomat said, but any proposals should reflect the "realities on the ground".
A large-scale drone attack has hit Russia's Samara region, damaging facilities and disrupting operations at an Ozon logistics complex, according to regional authorities and the company.
Iran has condemned new U.S. sanctions as “economic terrorism” and “crimes against humanity”, accusing Washington of pursuing a decades-long policy of hostility. Tehran said the measures would not weaken its resolve to defend its sovereignty and national interests.
Türkiye said on Thursday it would continue helping Syria strengthen its military, despite rising tensions with Israel over Ankara’s role in the country.
At least 13 Tunisians are missing after a boat carrying migrants sank off the Tunisian coast while attempting to reach Italy, according to the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights.
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A large-scale drone attack has hit Russia's Samara region, damaging facilities and disrupting operations at an Ozon logistics complex, according to regional authorities and the company.
The United States has imposed 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian goods after Washington and Ottawa failed to reach a new trade agreement, with both sides accusing the other of derailing negotiations at the final stage.
Türkiye has asked Interpol to issue a red notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a criminal case linked to Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said on Friday.
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