The expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup features 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two finishers from each group advancing automatically to the round of 32 alongside the eight strongest third-placed sides. Qualification wrapped in March after UEFA and intercontinental playoffs, setting the full field and groups. The tournament opens June 11 with co-host Mexico facing South Africa, followed by a compressed group stage through late June that emphasizes recent form, head-to-head records, and squad depth. Home-soil advantages for the United States, Canada, and Mexico, alongside CONMEBOL and UEFA depth, shape early expectations for progression, while injuries, travel across North America, and tiebreaker scenarios like goal difference could influence borderline cases.