Soccer Guides / Competitions explained
Competitions explained
How the World Cup, the 2026 expanded tournament and the Champions League are organized, from qualifying to the final.
Every competition has its own format: groups, league phases, knockout rounds, tiebreakers and qualifying paths. These guides explain how the biggest tournaments work so the tables and brackets in your live-score app make sense.
CompetitionsChampions League format explainedHow Europe's top club competition works since its 2024/25 redesign, from qualifying and the 36-team league phase to the knockout playoffs and the single-match final.CompetitionsWorld Cup 2026 format explainedThe first 48-team World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. How the 12 groups, the new round of 32 and the 104 matches fit together.CompetitionsWorld Cup historyFrom 13 teams in Uruguay in 1930 to 48 teams across North America in 2026, a plain-English history of the men's FIFA World Cup, its winners, records and the Women's World Cup.