May 5, 2026
World Cup 2026 uses 48 teams, split into 12 groups of four. Each team plays three group matches. The top two teams from every group qualify for the knockout stage, joined by the eight best third-place teams.
That creates 32 knockout teams and five knockout rounds: Round of 32, Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final.
For prediction games, the format rewards careful group analysis. Picking the champion is only part of the challenge; predicting the path matters too.