The World Cup begins on Thursday at 3 p.m ET with Mexico vs South Africa, followed by South Korea vs Czechia. We're less than 48 hours away from the start.

Canada's first match is on Friday at 3 p.m ET against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. The US plays Paraguay in Los Angeles that night.

There will be at least three matches per day, and up to six, over the next two weeks. Kickoff times range from noon ET to midnight ET.

Here are some basics to know for the 2026 World Cup.

This is the biggest World Cup ever.

The tournament started with 13 countries in 1930 and now has 48 teams, a 50% increase from 2022.

Teams are divided into groups of four for round-robin play. The top two teams in each group and the eight best third-place teams advance to the knockout stage.

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The US hosts 78 matches, while Canada and Mexico have 13 each. The final is on July 19 at MetLife Stadium.

New rules are being introduced.

A win is worth three points, a draw is one point, and a loss is zero points. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head result.

If tied, the next tiebreaker is head-to-head goal difference, then head-to-head goals, then overall goal differential.

Each match includes two three-minute hydration breaks, one in each half.

There's no clear favorite to win the World Cup.

Spain and France are the top contenders, with 17% chance to win.

It's hard to pick against Spain and France, with stars like Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé.

England has a 12% chance to win, with Harry Kane as their top player.

Canada's national team is going to the World Cup.

Portugal, Brazil, and Argentina are next in the title odds, with 10% chance to win.

Brazil hopes Neymar can recover from a calf injury, while Cristiano Ronaldo seeks his first World Cup title.

Germany and the Netherlands are next in the title odds, with under 7% and 5% chance to win.

Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup, with zero percent chance to win.

Some teams can make a surprise run.

While the top teams are likely to win, other countries can make some noise.

Norway is on the rise, with Erling Haaland as their star player.

Croatia hopes for one more run, with Luka Modric as their leader.

Morocco was a Cinderella story in 2018, and is now ranked seventh in the world.

Home-field advantage can be big in the World Cup, with supportive crowds helping teams advance.

How far can Canada go in the World Cup?

Canada's men's soccer team has come a long way, with a second consecutive World Cup appearance.

But Canada still has much work to do, with no World Cup win or points yet.

The stars seem aligned for Canada to earn points and advance to the knockout stage.

Canada has a good chance to advance, with a softer group and home crowds.

But some stars have not aligned, with injuries to key players like Alphonso Davies and Moïse Bombito.

Not ideal, but Canada is playing in the World Cup again, in Canada, which is something to celebrate.