In just 18 days, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to usher in a new era of international football, with several nations preparing to make history when the tournament kicks off across the United States, Canada and Mexico next month.

For the first time, the World Cup will feature 48 teams, opening the door for emerging football nations to reach the global stage.

Among the biggest stories of the tournament are the debut appearances of Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, all of whom have qualified for the finals for the very first time.

The expanded tournament format has created new opportunities for smaller and developing football nations, adding fresh excitement and unpredictability to football’s biggest spectacle.

One of the tournament’s most remarkable stories belongs to Curaçao, which will become the smallest nation ever to compete at a FIFA World Cup.

The Caribbean side, with a population of around 150,000, secured qualification after an impressive unbeaten campaign under experienced coach Dick Advocaat. Players such as Leandro Bacuna, Tahith Chong and Eloy Room are expected to play key roles for the newcomers.

Meanwhile, Cabo Verde completed a historic qualification run after stunning victories over Cameroon during qualifying. Led by veteran captain Ryan Mendes, the island nation has emerged as one of Africa’s most inspiring underdog stories heading into the tournament.

From Asia, both Jordan and Uzbekistan will make their World Cup debuts after impressive qualifying campaigns. Jordan’s rise has been driven by stars such as Mousa Al-Tamari and Yazan Al-Naimat, while Uzbekistan finally ended years of near-misses to secure qualification with a talented squad featuring Abdukodir Khusanov and striker Eldor Shomurodov. Former Italy World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro has also added valuable experience from the technical area.

Several other nations are returning to the World Cup after lengthy absences. Norway are back for the first time since 1998, inspired by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard. Scotland and Austria also return after missing multiple editions of the tournament.

Elsewhere, Haiti return for the first time since 1974, while Iraq are back after a 40-year absence. Türkiye will feature at the finals for the first time since their memorable third-place finish in 2002, while Democratic Republic of the Congo return to the tournament for the first time since competing as Zaire in 1974.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19 and is expected to be the biggest edition of the tournament in history, featuring a record 104 matches across 16 host cities.

Fazl-ul-Hadi Hamza, the cultural attaché of the Afghan embassy in Moscow, participated in the “Colors of the World” art exhibition featuring creative works by foreign diplomats.

The exhibition was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation at the State Tretyakov Gallery with the support of the ministry’s state protocol department and in cooperation with the Russian Ministry of Culture, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture said in a statement.

The event is being held for the second consecutive year as part of the international “Intermuseum” festival and will remain open to visitors for three days.

During the exhibition, Zabih Paikan, an Afghan painter residing in Russia, displayed his artworks, which drew significant attention from visitors. Exhibition organizers also recognized his artworks as one of the top entries at the event.

Zabih Paikan was introduced to the exhibition by the cultural attaché of the Afghan embassy in Moscow.