Past tournament
World Cup Pool 2026 Spain took the title.
Past edition
- Dates
- 11 June – 19 July 2026
- Hosts
- United States, Canada and Mexico
- Teams
- 48 teams
- Matches
- 104 matches
- Winner
- Spain
How the 2026 World Cup played out
The 2026 World Cup was the first with 48 teams and the first hosted by three nations together: the United States, Canada and Mexico. Between 11 June and 19 July, 104 matches were played — more than half again as many as at previous editions.
The final was contested by Spain and Argentina and stayed goalless for 98 minutes. Ferran Torres settled it in extra time. It was Spain’s second world title, and it made them the first nation to hold the men’s and women’s World Cup at the same time.
What that meant for the pools
A tournament this size changes a prediction pool. With 104 matches instead of 64, consistency mattered more than one lucky call: anyone who filled in the whole group stage seriously built a lead that was hard to claw back in the knockouts.
The final also showed why the exact scoreline is worth so much. Almost nobody predicts 1-0 after extra time — the players who at least had the right winner took the points that decided the table.
What’s next
The next international tournament is the Women’s World Cup in 2027 in Brazil, followed by the Euros in 2028 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. You can prepare a pool for both now, so your group is ready before the first match kicks off.