With soaring ticket prices, a historic increase in participating teams, and extensive improvements to stadiums and rules, the 2026 World Cup will be very different from 1994.
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The United States hosted the World Cup for the first time in 1994. Now, the World Cup will be held in the United States again in 2026. This time, Canada and Mexico are co-hosting the World Cup. The competition will start on June 11 and end on July 19. What are the differences between the two World Cups? Here's how it stands now:
Ticket prices
1994: Tickets for the first round of matches ranged from $25 to $75. Tickets for the opening match ranged from $40 to $120. The final of that World Cup was held at Rose Bowl in California. Tickets ranged from $180 to $475.
2026: When FIFA first sold individual tickets in December, they were priced at $140 to $2,735. This is all for the first round of matches. For the final, the ticket price was $4,185 to $8,680. This time, the ticket price will be based on supply and demand. The maximum price for the final match in April has been set at $10,990.
Tournament size
1994: This was the last edition of the World Cup, in which 24 teams participated. Only after 1998, the number of participants was increased to 32.
2026: This time, the number of participants in the World Cup has been increased to 48. That means that for the first time in World Cup history, the last 16 stage will begin. In this way, the teams that reach the final will now play 8 games, compared to 7 before.
Field size
1994: At that time, the field size specified by FIFA was 68 by 105 meters. This means 74 by 115 yards.
2026 : This time the size of the stadium should be such that it can be considered a universal standard .
Audience
1994 : That World Cup attracted a record 3.59 million spectators . At that time, an average of 68,991 spectators attended the stadiums in 52 matches .
2026 : This time the audience will be double compared to 1994, probably 60 to 70 million .
Number of stadiums
1994 : The number of stadiums used in the first World Cup held in the United States was 9 . Its opening match was held in Chicago .
2026 : This time 16 stadiums will be used . Out of these, 11 stadiums are in the United States . Three stadiums in Mexico and two in Canada will be used . All the quarter-final matches will be held in the United States . This time there will be no games in Chicago. The city is not interested in hosting any World Cup games. The reason for this is that FIFA has been accused of not providing enough financial support.
American stadiums
1994: Five NFL stadiums were used in that tournament. Three of them no longer exist.
2026: This time all 11 stadiums used in America are NFL stadiums. None of the stadiums used in 1994 will be used this time.
Water break
1994: Despite the heat and high humidity, the game continued.
2026: This time the weather will be hot. The humidity will also be high. So there will be a three-minute break in each half. The team can also use it for tactical changes.
Substitution
1994 : Only two players were allowed to be substituted in that World Cup. This rule was first implemented in 1990. If the goalkeeper was injured, a third player could also be substituted. This rule was implemented if the goalkeeper received a red card. The three-player substitution rule came into effect only after 1998. In 2018, the rule of a fourth player was also introduced if the game went into extra time.
2026 : From 2022, five players could be substituted in a single game. A sixth player could also be substituted in extra time. Similarly, one more player can be substituted in the event of a concussion.
