World Cup 2026: group-stage drama across North America
The first 48-team tournament is sprawling across 16 cities — and the upsets have already begun.
Quick Summary
The first 48-team World Cup is sprawling across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and the group stage has already served up upsets and late drama.
Bigger and longer
Running from 11 June to 19 July, the expanded format gives more nations a stage — and more fans a team to follow — even as critics question the toll of travel and heat across a continent-sized tournament.
For neutrals, the early rounds have delivered exactly the unpredictability the expansion promised.
Senior Sports Writer
Tharindu follows Sri Lanka Cricket home and away and writes on the wider sporting world.
