For the first time in the history of this tournament’s organization, the 2026 edition will be the FIFA World Cup featuring 48 participating teams in the final round, [3] up from the original 32 teams in the final round from the 1998 to 2022 editions. The joint bid for 2026 beat Morocco’s bid in the final vote at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow. This will be the first World Cup since 2002 to be hosted by more than one country. By hosting the tournament in 1970 and 1986, Mexico will become the first country to host or co-host the men’s World Cup three times. The United States last hosted the World Cup in 1994, and this will be the first time Canada will host or co-host the men’s tournament. The tournament schedule will return to the traditional summer schedule after the 2022 edition in Qatar, which was held in November and December that year. The tournament will also be held to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.