The 2026 FIFA World Cup featured 48 teams, an increase from the previous 32-team format. The teams were divided into 12 groups of 4 for the initial round-robin phase. Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan made their World Cup debut in this edition. Countries such as Qatar, Haiti, Panama, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) appeared in the tournament for the second time. Italy is the only former World Cup winner that failed to qualify for the 2026 edition.
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