IT’S official – England are heading to the 2026 World Cup!
The Three Lions booked their place at next year’s tournament by thrashing Latvia 5-0.
The win saw England retain their 100 per cent record in Group K and become the FIRST nation from Europe to qualify.
Now, Three Lions fans can officially start preparing for the competition next year, which will be held in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
But what can they expect as Donald Trump prepares to play host to the world for the most watched event on the planet?
Already there are concerns over extreme weather, kick-off times in the early hours and eye-watering ticket prices.
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Here’s all your need to know as the nation gears up to see if Thomas Tuchel’s boys can finally deliver a first triumph since 1966…
WHICH TEAMS HAVE ALREADY QUALIFIED?
AS tournament hosts, the United States, Canada and Mexico automatically claimed their places at the tournament, which will be the first in history to include 48 TEAMS.
That left 45 places up for grabs, with around half now filled.
Japan became the first nation to qualify in March with a 2-0 win over Bahrain.
Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Australia are the other Asian teams to have qualified.
One additional place will be made available though a playoff.
In the North America, Central America and Caribbean (Concacaf) region, no teams have qualified yet.
However, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Curacao, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago are in contention.
And in South America, the full quota of six teams – including Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay – have secured qualification, with Bolivia confirmed to be in the playoffs.
It means Lionel Messi, now based in the USA with Inter Miami, will take part in the tournament.
New Zealand became the only nation from Oceania to qualify in March, with New Caledonia progressing to the playoffs.
Nine teams from Africa have booked their places at the tournament, including Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, South Africa, Cape Verde, Senegal and Ivory Coast.
One further African team can qualify through the play-offs, with Nigeria among the teams in the mix.
And in Europe, Portugal look set to be among the teams joining England at the tournament.
It means fans will get to see Cristiano Ronaldo compete with old rival Messi on the grandest stage one final time with the ageing duo surely unable to continue playing until 2030.
HOST STADIUMS
IN Canada, six games will be held at Toronto Stadium – also known as BMO Field – with another seven set for BC Place in Vancouver.
Three stadiums will be used in Mexico, including Estadio Azteca Mexico City (five games), Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan (four games) and Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe (four games).
The USA will host the majority of fixtures, including the semi-finals and final.
The final will take place at the New York New Jersey Stadium – widely known as the MetLife Stadium – on July 19.
Seven other games will also be held at the East Rutherford venue.
The bronze medal match will be held at the Miami Stadium – also known as the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida – along with six other games.
Other US grounds to be used include the Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium), Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium), Houston Stadium (NRG Stadium), Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium), Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium) and Atlanta Stadium (Mercedez-Benz Stadium).
WEATHER WARNINGS
EXTREME weather warnings became a regular problem during the Club World Cup this summer.
Thunderstorms and heatwaves had a huge impact on the tournament, with some games delayed.
Many players suffered as a result of the high temperatures – some of which were 30-40°C.
So in response, Fifa confirmed that a drinks break will take place at 30 minutes and 75 minutes if needed.
The football governing body is also considering scheduling kick-off times for later in the day – meaning they would take place in the EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING for UK viewers.
Currently, fixtures are expected to kick-off at 5pm, 8pm, 11pm and 2am (all BST) in a similar pattern to the Club World Cup.
However, the two early times caused issues for players because they were in the middle of the day – and at peak temperatures – in the States.
President of CONCACAF Victor Montagliani subsequently revealed that Fifa would “learn” from the experience of players and spectators at the Club World Cup.
TICKET SALE FAIL
FANS heading to the World Cup could be fleeced for THOUSANDS per match under Fifa plans to use a “dynamic pricing” strategy.
Average costs of around £305 per match had previously been reported.
But now Fifa chiefs are looking at the same demand-based pricing arrangements that saw this summer’s Oasis reunion concerts plunged into controversy.
And that could see ticket prices for the biggest games sky-rocketing with supply not being able to keep up with demand despite stadiums having capacities of 70,000-plus.
A similar system used in this summer’s Club World Cup – which includes Chelsea and Manchester City – saw prices fall to as low as £29 for games in the group stage.
But that is unlikely to be the situation at the World Cup, despite the expansion to a 48-team tournament which will see a record 104 games played.
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The Fifa model will NOT apply to fans supporting the three host countries – the USA, Canada and Mexico.
But visiting supporters will be exposed to the system, which could see top price tickets for knockout games going for £5,000 or more.
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