Every four years, people from all corners of the globe prepare for the biggest sporting event on the planet: the FIFA World Cup.
For the first time in history, three nations − Canada, Mexico and the United States − will cohost the 23rd installment of the tournament, spreading 48 countries’ teams across 16 cities from June 11 to July 19.
With more than 1.5 billion people tuning in to 2022’s final match, the World Cup is not only one of the most-viewed sports tournaments, but it’s one of the most-watched events ever. Even countries that didn’t participate like China and India had millions tuning in to see Argentina narrowly beat France four years ago.
Record number of countries participating in 2026 World Cup
With a record 48 countries qualifying for this year’s tournament, there will be 104 matches played − 40 more than in 2022.
Four countries will make their debut appearance in the tournament: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. Curaçao is making history as the smallest country that has ever participated in terms of land area and population metrics. The nation has a population of just over 150,000 and a land area of 171 square miles.
Which countries have participated in the past?
Since the tournament started in 1930, nearly 90 countries from every continent (except Antarctica) have participated. The tournament paused only once, in the 1940s, as two straight tournaments were canceled during World War II.
Even as borders have changed and countries dissolved over the past century, the World Cup has persevered.
The only country that has participated in every single tournament is Brazil. Germany follows as a close second, missing only two tournaments since its inception.
Even while the country was fragmented, both sides participated, though East Germany appeared only when West Germany hosted the tournament in 1974. West Germany was one of the most dominant teams in early World Cup history, reaching 100 World Cup goals in only eight tournaments, fewer than any other team.
The first tournament, hosted in 1930 and won by Uruguay, featured 13 countries from Europe and the two American continents. The first African country to compete was Egypt in 1934. Asia entered the scene in 1938 with the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, which hasn’t played since. Finally, Australia made its debut in 1974.
Who has won the tournament?
Brazil has won the most tournaments with five championships, followed by Germany and Italy, which are tied with four. Germany won three of its titles as West Germany in 1954, 1974 and 1990 and one of its titles as a unified Germany in 2014.
Though Uruguay has officially won two World Cups, its team features four stars on its crest because FIFA recognizes its two Olympic soccer championships in 1924 and 1928 as championship equivalents.
How has prize money changed?
This year’s winning team will receive $50 million in prize money from FIFA from a prize pool totaling $727 million. Though the amount increases based on championship placement, each team that participates is guaranteed to bring home at least $10.5 million.
The first time FIFA publicly awarded the World Cup champion a monetary prize was in 1982; the winner took home $2.2 million, or about $8 million in 2026 dollars.
Along with receiving money from FIFA, countries have rewarded their teams for placing well in the tournament. Some notable rewards include:
