Governance & Structure
The World Championship is run by the World Football Council (WFC), headquartered in Zurich, which oversees six confederations: the European Football Council (EFC), the African Alliance of Football (AAF), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), CONCAF (North & Central America), the South American Football Confederation (SAFC), and the OFC (Oceania).
76 nations compete across the six confederations, each with its own kit, nickname and history. Every four years, 32 of those nations qualify for the World Championship finals — the tournament covered on this page and across the World Cup hub.
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each field separate national teams — there is no unified UK team at World Championship level.
Qualification & Draw
- 32 finalist nations are drawn into eight groups of four (Groups A–H).
- The draw spreads nations across confederations where possible, so nations from the same confederation avoid meeting in the group stage wherever the numbers allow.
- The tournament is held every four years. Each confederation stages its own continental championship in the two-year gap between World Championships.
Group Stage Format
- Each of the eight groups plays a single round-robin: three matches per nation, no home advantage (all group matches are played at neutral venues).
- 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss.
- Level on points → goal difference decides. Still level → goals scored decides.
- The top two nations in each group advance to the Round of 16; the bottom two are eliminated.
Knockout Stage
- Single elimination from the Round of 16 through the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Final — 16 nations, no second chances.
- Matches level after 90 minutes go to 30 minutes of extra time; still level after extra time, the match is decided by a penalty shoot-out. There is no replay and no away-goals rule.
- The two beaten semifinalists play a third-place play-off ahead of the final.
- Bracket pairings are fixed at the group stage to keep nations from the same group apart for as long as possible.
Squad & Call-Up Rules
- Each nation names a 23-player squad: 3 goalkeepers, 8 defenders, 7 midfielders and 5 forwards is the typical shape, though managers have some latitude.
- International call-ups are mandatory — domestic clubs cannot refuse to release a player selected for national duty.
- Two international breaks are scheduled per domestic season, after Match-day 12 and Match-day 26, to accommodate qualifiers, continental championships and the World Championship itself.
Past Champions
| Nation | Titles |
|---|---|
| Brazil | 5 |
| Germany | 4 |
| France | 3 |
Brazil's most recent triumph came in the tournament covered on the World Cup Results and Knockout pages — their fifth World Championship title.