The legacy of the first 48-team World Cup: what the 2026 tournament leaves behind
The 2026 World Cup will go down in history as the first contested by 48 nations and spread across three countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada. There were 104 matches, 308 goals and 16 host cities in a tournament that widened the map of world football. We analyse what the new format leaves behind: more chances, more surprises and some debate.
The 2026 World Cup will be remembered for many things —Spain's second star, the farewell of a generation— but above all for being the first with a new format: 48 nations instead of 32, 104 matches instead of 64 and a co-hosting between the United States, Mexico and Canada, with 16 venues across the three countries.
The sporting balance left solid figures: 308 goals at an average of 2.96 per game, a tournament lively in attack without tipping into chaos. But the great argument for expansion was the stories it made possible: nations that used to miss out got their chance, and some seized it. Cape Verde made their World Cup debut, Norway reached the quarters through Haaland, and shocks such as Germany's exit to Paraguay or the Netherlands' to Morocco, both on penalties, showed that the gap between big and small has narrowed.
Not everything was praise. The 48-team format stretched the calendar and multiplied the matches, and some missed the intensity of a shorter, more selective tournament. The debate over whether more is better will remain open, but it is undeniable that the World Cup gained in diversity and global reach.
In the end, the three-way hosting worked, the venues buzzed and the tournament crowned a champion for the ages. The first 48-team World Cup leaves a clear legacy: football belongs to more people than ever. You can relive all the data, results and records of the tournament on our stats pages.