Sweden forward Anthony Elanga initially thought his side were eliminated from the World Cup on Thursday evening despite their progression to the round of 32 after a 1-1 draw versus Japan.

The 2026 World Cup has arrived. Mexico and South Africa will kick off the tournament on Thursday afternoon following Mexico's opening ceremony.

Spain legend Iker Casillas has suggested a change in the FIFA World Cup format. He stated that the tournament needs to have 64 teams because he disagrees with the best-third-placed team concept.

For the 2026 World Cup's group stage, the tournament's 48 teams were split into 12, four-team groups. Each team will play its groupmates once and will earn three points in the group standings for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss.

The 2026 World Cup expands to 48 teams across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, featuring new group stage tiebreakers and a Round of 32 knockout format.

The 48-team expansion and return of third-placed qualifiers have renewed concerns over the World Cup's sporting integrity, evoking memories of the 1982 'disgrace of Gijon'.

Every four years, the planet stops to watch one tournament. Offices empty out, entire countries paint themselves in their national colors, and a single match can bring billions of people to the same screen at the same moment.

FIFA World Cup fans are already worried that two teams could play for a result that benefits both in the final round.

The expanded World Cup sends eight of 12 third-place teams through. Here's who we think advances and who falls just short.

The expanded World Cup format means lots of moving parts and changing permutations during the final round of group games.