Overview
- Forty‑eight teams from all six confederations will take part, representing nearly a quarter of FIFA’s 211 member associations.
- The format features 12 groups of four teams, split into nine men’s groups and three women’s groups, with cross‑confederation matchups.
- Men’s groups will be hosted by Australia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Rwanda and Uzbekistan, while Brazil, Ivory Coast and Thailand host the women’s groups.
- Rwanda will stage two separate groups, underscoring FIFA’s plan to distribute hosting duties and build operational capacity across diverse federations.
- FIFA characterizes the Series as competitive friendlies within official windows rather than a World Cup, with Gianni Infantino emphasizing new opportunities; published group lists include Brazil–Canada–Republic of Korea–Zambia in the women’s event and one OFC representative to be confirmed in Thailand.