Believe it or not, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is just six months away from today.

The World Cup is held every four years, but there's a slight difference between the 2026 edition and the previous one in 2022. Instead of its traditional summer schedule, the action in Qatar played out in November and December due to the country's extreme heat in the summer months.

In 2022, one of soccer's legends finally got his hands on the renowned World Cup trophy, as Lionel Messi and Argentina beat France in a penalty shootout to certify La Pulga as the sport's greatest ever.

A lot has changed in the soccer landscape since then. New global stars have emerged, certain countries have either taken leaps or fell behind and, of course, more teams will take part in 2026.

From teams to watch, the U.S. men's national team's chances and more, here's a six-months-out preview of the biggest tournament in sports:

To briefly recap the 2022 tournament, Messi and Argentina beat France in the final. Morocco and Croatia both made Cinderella runs to the semifinals but were eventually outclassed. Mexico, Germany, Belgium and Uruguay stunningly didn't advance into the knockout rounds, with Spain and the USMNT being eliminated in the round of 16.

In a stacked quarterfinals, the Netherlands, Brazil, England and Portugal all fell short, the former two via penalties and the latter two in regulation.

When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The 2026 World Cup will run from Thursday, June 11, until Sunday, July 19.

Where is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The tournament will be co-hosted for the first time by three different nations: the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

What are the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

These are the cities across the three countries that will be hosting World Cup matches: United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle