Excitement is building as the 2026 Fifa World Cup gets underway today, (Thursday, June 11) until Sunday (July 19) across 16 cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada (Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver).
Interesting facts about the 2026 World Cup
- Bafana Bafana Returns:
Bafana Bafana will officially return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 16 years after securing their spot after a successful qualification campaign. They will face host nation Mexico in the tournament opener tonight (June 11), mirroring the 2010 World Cup opener, where the two teams also played each other on the same day (June 11). - Smart Footballs:
The official match ball will contain an internalsensor package that transmits data 500 times per second. This will track acceleration and rotation in 3D space, capturing even the faintest touches for precise handball and offside rulings. - Expanded Format:
A record 48 teams will compete at the tournament, up from 32 teams which was the number of nations from 1998 to 2022. It also means a new format: eight groups become 12 and as the top two still go through, the eight best third-place teams will also advance to the knockout stage. A new stage will also be added… the round of 32. - The First Triple Host:
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is making history as the first men’s tournament co-hosted by three nations: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. - AI Avatars:
For the first time, FIFA will use Generative AI to build highly accurate 3D digital avatars of all 1,248 participating players. This will create a virtual twin of the match in real-time, allowing referees to make millisecond-perfect offside calls by tracking a player’s exact limb positions. - Tyla Takes Centre Stage:
South African artist, Tyla, will play a prominent part in the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 soundtrack, collaborating with American rapper Future on the track “Game Time” and will perform at multiple official opening celebrations. - South African Viewing Times:
Due to the time difference between North America and South Africa, many games will require local viewers to switch on their TV’s in the early hours of the morning (between 3am and 6am).
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