The FIFA World Cup

The World Cup is contested by national teams from around the world, with most places decided through qualifying campaigns within each confederation. Host nations usually qualify automatically, while the remaining places are earned through regional qualification and, in some cases, inter-confederation play-offs. UEFA, CONMEBOL, CAF, AFC, CONCACAF and OFC can all be represented at the finals, which is why the tournament is widely regarded as the sport’s pinnacle.

The tournament has been held every four years since 1930, with the only gaps caused by the Second World War. From the 2026 tournament, the finals feature 48 national teams, up from the 32-team format used from 1998 to 2022.

Under the 48-team format used from 2026 onwards, the finals begin with twelve groups of four teams. Each team plays the other three in its group once, with three points for a win and one for a draw. The top two teams from each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, go through to a round of 32. From there the tournament is straight knockout — round of 32, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. The winners of the two semi-finals contest the final; the two losing semi-finalists play a third-place play-off.

Under the 32-team format used from 1998 to 2022, the finals had eight groups of four, with the top two from each group going through to a round of 16 and then the same knockout path. Earlier World Cups used different formats and different numbers of teams. The tournament settled at 16 teams from 1954 to 1978, expanded to 24 teams from 1982 to 1994, then to 32 teams from 1998, before expanding again to 48 teams in 2026.

For most of its history the World Cup has been played in June and July, after the European domestic season has finished. The tournament lasts around a month, with the final played on a single day with the trophy presentation that follows. Many domestic competitions pause or schedule around the finals, especially in countries with players involved.

However, there have been exceptions to the summer rule. The 2022 tournament in Qatar was moved to November and December because of the heat in the host country.

The number of places available at the finals is split between the six confederations, with the allocation set by FIFA for each tournament. Each confederation then runs its own qualifying campaign, usually through groups, leagues or knockout rounds played across the international windows in the years leading up to the finals.

The host nation, or nations, usually qualify automatically, leaving the rest of the places to be decided through qualifying. A small number of places may also be decided through inter-confederation play-offs, giving teams from different regions one final route into the tournament.

The current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, was introduced in 1974. The previous trophy, the Jules Rimet Trophy, was awarded to the winner of every World Cup from 1930 to 1970, when Brazil were given it permanently after winning their third title. The current trophy remains FIFA’s property: the winners lift it at the final, but receive a replica to keep.

Winners traditionally add a star above the team badge on their shirt for each World Cup they have won. The competition's prestige is reflected in how rare wins are — fewer than ten nations have ever lifted the trophy.

The first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930, during the centenary year of Uruguay’s independence. Thirteen teams took part, with hosts Uruguay beating Argentina in the final to win the inaugural tournament. The competition was suspended during the Second World War, with no tournaments held in 1942 or 1946.

The format expanded several times across the second half of the twentieth century — from 16 teams to 24 in 1982, and to 32 in 1998. The most recent expansion, to 48 teams in 2026, was the largest in the tournament's history. Across that growth, most World Cups have used some form of group stage followed by knockout rounds, although there have been exceptions: the 1934 and 1938 tournaments were straight knockout competitions, while 1950 ended with a final-round group rather than a single final.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup, first held in 1991, is the women’s equivalent and has also expanded significantly over time. FIFA also runs age-group World Cups, including U-20 and U-17 tournaments for men’s and women’s teams, as well as separate World Cups for beach soccer and futsal. The senior men’s competition remains the most-watched tournament in the FIFA World Cup family.