FIFA wants to “facilitate meaningful international friendlies between national teams from different confederations”. To achieve this, the world governing body is focusing on the FIFA Series 2026. Everything you need to know about this special format.
Following the successful pilot in 2024, FIFA is now organizing the FIFA Series for the second time. The main aim is to bring together teams that usually rarely face each other. In this way, the world governing body wants to create fresh encounters and at the same time “make a concrete contribution to the global development of soccer”, as it writes itself.
When will the FIFA Series take place?
The edition will take place from March 25 to 31, with the women playing from April 9 to 18.
Who is taking part in the FIFA Series?
This year, a total of 50 national teams are taking part in this initiative, representing just under a quarter of all 211 member associations. The participants will compete in 13 groups consisting of either three or four teams. All six confederations are represented, with nine groups consisting of men’s national teams and four reserved for women.
Where will the matches take place?
There is not just one host, but twelve FIFA member associations are hosting the series this year. Rwanda will host two groups, while the men will play in Australia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Uzbekistan. The Socceroos, Cameroon, China and Germany’s World Cup group opponents Curacao will play in Australia. In Azerbaijan, it’s Sierra Leone and St. Lucia, while Bulgaria, the Solomon Islands and St. Kitts and Nevis are in Indonesia.
Kazakhstan welcome the Comoros and Namibia, while Uzbekistan host Gabon, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela and New Zealand can look forward to Chile, Finland and Cape Verde. American Samoa, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands will take on Puerto Rico, while Rwanda will host Estonia, Grenada, Kenya, Aruba, Liechtenstein, Macau and Tanzania.
The four women’s venues are Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya and Thailand. In South America, two top teams – the Selecao and Canada – will meet, with Korea and Zambia also taking part. Mauritania, Pakistan and the Turks and Caicos Islands travel to the Ivory Coast, Australia, India and Malawi to Kenya. Last but not least, Thailand welcomes Nepal, New Caledonia and the DR Congo.
What is the format?
The FIFA Series will run under one roof, but there will be different competition formats agreed by the participating member associations – ranging from knockout matches with semi-finals and finals to pre-determined fixtures. There is a standard procedure in the event of a draw after 90 minutes. Then it goes straight to a penalty shoot-out without extra time. There will also be one tournament winner in each group – to make the matches more “attractive” for fans and participants.