The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off today, June 11. For the first time since the tournament’s creation in 1930, the event is being jointly hosted by three countries from the Americas: the United States (11 host cities), Mexico (3 cities), and Canada (2 cities).Mexico is no stranger to hosting the tournament. It organized the 1970 edition, when Morocco qualified for the World Cup for the first time in its history, and the 1986 edition, when the Kingdom reached the Round of 16 for the first time. Forty years later, Mexico is once again serving as a co-host of football’s biggest event.The World Cup has previously been co-hosted by two countries, namely South Korea and Japan, which jointly organized the 2002 tournament.Another major innovation of the 2026 edition is the expansion of the tournament from 32 participating nations— the format used since 1998 — to 48 teams. Prior to 1998, only 24 nations took part.The decision to enlarge the competition was approved by FIFA in 2017, but it is being implemented for the first time at the 2026 World Cup.As a result, 104 matches will be played instead of the traditional 64, over a period of 39 days.This expansion provides a golden opportunity for nations that have never—or only rarely—qualified for the tournament to experience an event eagerly anticipated by both players and supporters.The change has enabled several countries to qualify after years of absence. African and Asian representation has increased significantly. In Africa, the number of qualified teams has doubled, rising from five in 2022 to ten in 2026.The tournament is expected to be one of the most heavily covered sporting events in history. FIFA aims to attract approximately 6.5 million spectators to stadiums across the three host nations. Following their historic run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Morocco national football team enter the 2026 tournament ranked seventh in the latest FIFA rankings.After a 5–0 victory over Niger during the CAF qualifiers in September 2025, Morocco became the first African nation to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.This marks the Atlas Lions’ third consecutive World Cup appearance, following qualifications in 2018 and 2022. Overall, Morocco has now qualified for the tournament seven times.Morocco’s group-stage opponents are Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti.The Atlas Lions’ opening match will be against Brazil on June 13 at 11:00 p.m. Moroccan time at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, during the night from Saturday to Sunday. The clash against Brazil is particularly anticipated. The five-time world champions have participated in 23 World Cups and have lifted the trophy on five occasions: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002.