Kings World Cup Nations 2026: A Global Showcase of Football Innovation

The Kings World Cup Nations, first held in January 2025 in Italy, represents the international iteration of the Kings League. This tournament features national teams led by prominent creators, streamers, and former professional footballers. Brazil triumphed in the inaugural edition held in Turin, where the tournament set new records for viewership and engagement across streaming platforms and television broadcasts.

The upcoming 2026 edition in Brazil aims to build on this momentum. Scheduled from January 3 to January 17, teams will compete in 40 matches to determine the world champion, all conducted under the distinctive Kings League rules designed to eliminate draws and maximize entertainment value.

Participating nations include the United States, Brazil, Spain, France, Germany, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and various others from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

The competition is structured in two phases:

**Group Stage:**

Twenty teams will be divided into five groups of four. The winners of each group will qualify directly for the quarterfinals, while second-place teams and the best third-place finishers will progress to a ‘Last Chance’ round.

**Knockout Rounds:**

The knockout phase consists of the Last Chance round, quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final, all played as single-elimination matches. Matches leading up to the semifinals will be hosted at the Trident Arena in São Paulo, with the final taking place at Allianz Parque.

All matches will adhere to Kings League rules, which stipulate that there can be no draws; any tied games will be resolved through penalty shootouts.

Kings League matches are characterized by a seven-a-side format on a smaller pitch, consisting of two 20-minute halves. The rule set incorporates elements from video gaming and other sports to enhance pace and unpredictability. Notable features include the absence of draws, sin bins replacing traditional yellow cards, unlimited substitutions, late-game double-goal periods, and ‘Secret Cards’ that provide teams with temporary advantages such as doubling scores, removing opposing players, or activating other special effects.

These innovative rules are integral to the Kings League identity and will be fully implemented during the World Cup Nations.

One of the standout figures from the Kings League ecosystem is Kelvin Oliveira, the Most Valuable Player of the previous Kings World Cup Nations. Oliveira led Brazil to victory in 2025 and became a viral sensation, amassing over 700,000 social media followers within 48 hours. Alongside teammate “Lipão” Pinheiro, he is widely regarded as one of the best seven-a-side players globally within the Fut7 framework.

Kelvin currently plays for G3X FC in Kings League Brazil, while Lipão represents Furia FC, backed by Neymar. Despite interest from professional 11-a-side clubs in Brazil, Oliveira has chosen to remain within the Kings League.

The tournament will also feature several former top-level professionals, including Carles Planas from Spain, a Barcelona academy graduate with stints at Girona and Celta Vigo; Leonel Vangioni from Argentina, who previously played for River Plate, AC Milan, and Newell’s Old Boys; and Danny Blum from Germany, a former player for Eintracht Frankfurt.

Other notable participants include Joe van der Sar, son of former Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, and Driss Zidane, nephew of Zinedine Zidane, who is part of Algeria’s squad.

Kings League events are available for free viewing via live streams on the league’s official Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok channels, as well as on the individual channels of team captains and presidents.

The 2025 Kings World Cup Nations garnered over 52 million total viewers worldwide and was broadcast in more than 60 countries through partners such as CBS Golazo in the United States, Sky Sports in Italy, DAZN, ESPN, and Telemundo. Broadcast details for the 2026 tournament in Brazil will be announced closer to the kickoff date.