The 2026 FIFA World Cup is unlike any tournament before it because its expanded format, record prize money and wider global representation have already made history before a ball was kicked.
For the first time, the World Cup is being staged across three countries, the United States, Canada and Mexico, with 48 teams competing in 104 matches across 16 host cities. The tournament itself, which runs from June 11 to July 19, is also expected to become the most financially successful in FIFA’s history.
As millions of fans follow the action, Sporting Tribune outlines some of the records, milestones and statistics shaping the biggest World Cup ever.
The biggest World Cup ever
The 2026 edition is the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32 in previous tournaments.
The expansion has increased the number of matches from 64 to 104, allowing more countries to compete on football’s biggest stage.
It is also the first World Cup to be jointly hosted by three nations, while Mexico has become the first country to host the men’s World Cup three times after previously staging the tournament in 1970 and 1986.
FIFA expects the competition to generate more than $13 billion in revenue and has projected a record attendance, surpassing the 3.5 million spectators recorded during the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
Brazil lead the way
No country has won the World Cup more than Brazil, as the five-time champions lifted the trophy in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002 and remain the only nation to have appeared in every edition of the tournament since it began in 1930.
Germany and Italy follow with four titles each, although Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament, extending its absence to three consecutive World Cups.
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Argentina, the defending champions, are chasing a fourth title, while France and Uruguay each have two.
Klose’s scoring record
Germany’s Miroslav Klose remains the highest goalscorer in World Cup history with 16 goals in 24 matches across four tournaments.
Brazil’s Ronaldo follows with 15 goals, while Gerd Muller scored 14.
Among active players, Lionel Messi has 13 World Cup goals and Kylian Mbappe has 12, putting both within reach of Klose’s long-standing record if their teams progress deep into the tournament.
Greatest single-tournament goalscorer
France’s Just Fontaine still holds one of football’s most remarkable records.
He scored 13 goals in only six matches during the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, a record that has stood for nearly seven decades.
Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis follows with 11 goals in 1954, while Gerd Muller scored 10 in 1970.
Young stars and seasoned veterans
Mexico midfielder, Gilberto Mora, is the youngest player at the tournament at 17 years and 240 days.
Mora made history in his home country by becoming the youngest player to debut for Mexico’s senior national team and the youngest goalscorer in the Mexican top flight.
At the other end of the scale, Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon is the oldest player at 43 years and 162 days and is making his World Cup debut more than two decades after earning his first international cap.
Several football icons are also extending their World Cup legacies.
Cristiano Ronaldo is appearing at his sixth World Cup at the age of 41, alongside Lionel Messi, who is also making a sixth appearance. Luka Modric, Manuel Neuer and Guillermo Ochoa continue to feature well into their careers.
Four countries make history
Cape Verde, Uzbekistan, Jordan and Curacao are making their first appearances at the FIFA World Cup.
Curacao, with a population of about 158,000, becomes the smallest nation ever to qualify for the men’s World Cup.
The expanded format has also resulted in 891 players appearing at the tournament for the first time.
Record prize money
FIFA has announced a record prize fund of $727 million for the 2026 tournament.
The winners will receive $50 million, while every participating nation is guaranteed at least $10.5 million.
The total prize fund is a sharp increase from the $440 million distributed at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Argentina earned $42 million after defeating France in the final.
Experience versus youth
Ivory Coast have the youngest squad at the tournament, with an average age of 25.48 years.
Colombia arrive with the oldest squad, averaging 29.98 years.
The contrast highlights the different approaches adopted by national teams, with some relying on experienced players while others place their faith in emerging talent.
Football without borders
The World Cup reflects football’s global reach.
Players from 71 different nationalities are represented across the tournament, with Europe contributing the largest share, followed by Asia, South America, North and Central America, Africa and Oceania.
Some countries rely almost entirely on players based abroad. Cape Verde, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, Curacao, Senegal and Uruguay have no domestically based players in their squads.
By contrast, Qatar and Saudi Arabia selected 25 of their 26 players from clubs in their domestic leagues.
Messi eyes another record
Lionel Messi heads into the tournament as the player with the most World Cup appearances, having played 26 matches across five previous editions.
The Argentine captain is expected to extend that record during the tournament as he seeks to lead his country to back-to-back World Cup titles.
More records waiting to be broken
With 104 matches scheduled over six weeks, the 2026 World Cup provides more opportunities than ever for records to fall.
Whether it is the race for the Golden Boot, attendance milestones, individual appearances or team achievements, the 2026 World Cup is once again set to produce moments that will shape the sport’s history long after the final in New Jersey.
