The wait is over for the biggest World Cup ever with 48 teams, 104 matches, three host nations and a slew of questions and controversies swirling around the highly scrutinzed event that will last for nearly six weeks.

There will be 16 stadiums hosting matches for the 2026 World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico, including SoFi Stadium and MetLife Stadium.

Somali referee Omar Artan will no longer participate in the 2026 World Cup after being denied entry to the United States. He was set to make World Cup history as the first referee from Somalia to officiate, but has instead been turned away after flying into Miami from Istanbul.

This year's match against South Africa adds to a long history of first matches that reveal El Tri's form and ambition.

With the biggest-ever World Cup ready to kick off across Canada, Mexico and the USA, here we look at the key storylines.

Some of the most prolific goal-scorers in world soccer history will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have 25 World Cup goals between them. Both superstars have Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals within their sights.

Argentina are the reigning FIFA World Cup champions after defeating France in a dramatic penalty shootout in the 2022 final in Qatar. Since the inaugural tournament in 1930, only eight nations have won football’s most prestigious trophy.

Three nations − Canada, Mexico and the U.S. − will cohost 2026 FIFA World Cup teams, including debut teams Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.