2026 World Cup: What we know about Canada’s role

The world’s biggest soccer event is coming to Canada.

On Wednesday, Canada, the United States and Mexico won the right to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will mark the first time ever that men’s World Cup matches will be played in Canada.

But how many exactly? Will the Canadian men’s national team actually get to play in the tournament? And how much is this going to cost?

Here’s a look at those questions and a few more in the wake of Wednesday’s announcement.

What does Canada get?

While the World Cup has had co-hosts before, this is the first time three nations have successfully won the right to stage it together.

In 2026, the World Cup will expand to 48 teams (this year’s tournament in Russia has 32), and the so-called “United” bid calls for 80 matches to be spread across the three host nations, with 10 in Canada, 10 in Mexico and 60 in the United States. All games from the quarter-final stage forward are expected to be played in U.S stadiums.