LIVE ยท 2026 FIFA World Cup ยท USA ยท Canada ยท Mexico

The World Cup
by Numbers

Data journalism for the beautiful game. 48 teams, 104 matches, one tournament โ€” seen through an economics lens.

Time until the Final ยท MetLife Stadium ยท July 19

00Days
00Hours
00Mins
00Secs
48
Teams
104
Matches
16
Host Cities
3
Host Nations
Results & Fixtures

Latest scores ยท Upcoming games

Recent Results
Upcoming Fixtures
Tournament Overview

The biggest World Cup ever

For the first time, 48 nations compete. The USA, Canada and Mexico co-host across 16 cities. A new format means the third-place route to the knockouts changes everything.

Winner Probability โ€” Top Contenders

Methodology: Elo rating (40%) ยท Qualification xG differential (25%) ยท Squad age profile โ€” 24โ€“28 peak (20%) ยท Tournament experience of starting XI (15%)

Goals Per Match โ€” Tournament History

Average goals per game across World Cup tournaments 1990โ€“2022

Key Data Insight

No #1 ranked team has won the World Cup since FIFA rankings became reliable in 2006. Every winner ranked between 2nd and 10th at tournament start โ€” suggesting the market consistently overvalues the top seed. With Argentina entering ranked #1, history is not on their side.

Wins by Continent
Fast Facts
๐Ÿ†
6 of 22 World Cups won by the host nation โ€” but the last was France in 1998.
๐ŸŒŽ
South America has won outside their continent โ€” Brazil 1958 (Sweden), 1970 & 1994 (North America), 2002 (Asia) and Argentina 1986 (Mexico). But in European-hosted tournaments, SA has only won once in 11 tries.
๐Ÿ†•
The best 8 third-place finishers advance โ€” a rule that reshapes group stage incentives entirely.
๐Ÿ“Š
Europe has 12 World Cup wins. South America has 10. All other continents have 0 โ€” a 100-year duopoly.
Key Numbers

What the data tells us going in

Four patterns that have held across multiple tournaments โ€” with reasoning behind each one.

3rdโ€“8th
The winner's sweet spot
Every World Cup winner since 2006 was ranked between 3rd and 8th going in. Not the top seed โ€” who tends to be over-targeted โ€” and not an outsider. Teams in this band carry quality without the expectation burden that comes with being #1.
26.8
Average age of winners since 2010
Squads averaging over 29 years consistently underperform their market value in knockout rounds. Physical output drops, injury risk spikes across a compressed tournament schedule, and older squads struggle with the 3-game-in-7-days demand of the group stage.
0 / 22
Non-European, non-SA winners
In all 22 World Cups held to date, every winner has come from Europe (12) or South America (10). Africa, Asia and CONCACAF have reached semi-finals โ€” South Korea 2002, Morocco 2022 โ€” but never the final. Whether 2026 breaks that duopoly is the tournament's biggest open question.
2.72
Goals per game at Qatar 2022 โ€” the highest since 1994
The goals-per-game trend has climbed back up after a trough around 2006โ€“2010. The 2026 format โ€” with 48 teams and the best-8 third-place rule eliminating dead rubbers โ€” should push this figure higher still. More teams with something to play for means more open football in the group stage.
Latest Insights

Data stories from the tournament

Groups & Fixtures

All 12 Groups

The first 48-team World Cup uses 12 groups of four. The top two advance automatically, and the best eight third-place finishers also progress to the Round of 32.

Format Change

The "best 8 third-place" rule fundamentally changes incentive structures. Teams in groups with two strong opponents are no longer eliminated โ€” they can still qualify through the back door. This reduces the pressure of the "group of death" and likely increases scoring as teams are less incentivised to play for draws.

Group Competitive Index

Average FIFA rank of the four teams โ€” lower average = stronger group. A score under 25 signals an elite group; over 50 suggests a more accessible path.

Team Statistics

All 48 Nations โ€” By The Numbers

Sort by any column. Click a header to rank teams. The highlighted row shows the leader for each metric.

Team FIFA Rank โ†‘ Appearances Titles Win Rate % Win Rate Bar Confederation
Key Player Insights

Players To Watch โ€” Data Picks

Not just the superstars โ€” data-driven picks from each group. Stat profiles based on international career data.

โšก Player Comparison Tool
Data Insights

Analysis & Deep Dives

Tournament Predictor

Build Your Bracket

Three steps: pick your group stage finishes โ†’ choose which 8 third-place teams qualify โ†’ click through every knockout match to your champion.

Step 1 โ€” Pick group finishes
1st click = Winner 2nd = Runner-Up 3rd = Third Place 4th = clear
0 / 12 groups done
Tournament Stats ยท Updated After Each Game

2026 World Cup โ€” Live Data

Connecting to live dataโ€ฆ

Click any group header to expand ยท P W D L GF GA GD Pts
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World Cup Essentials

Everything you need for the tournament โ€” kits, streaming, travel, and more.

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