The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be the largest edition of football’s flagship tournament in history. Co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the event will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, featuring 48 teams across 104 matches in 16 venues. Fans worldwide are eagerly awaiting the action-packed tournament, which promises record-breaking football moments.

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Key Dates and Venues

• Opening Match: June 11, 2026, 3:00 PM local time (21:00 GMT) at Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico.
• Final Match: July 19, 2026, 3:00 PM local time (20:00 GMT) at New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US.
• Tournament Duration: 39 days, spanning three host nations.
• Total Matches: 104
• Venues: 16 stadiums across Canada, Mexico, and the United States

Note: FIFA has temporarily renamed stadiums to prevent ambush marketing. For example, MetLife Stadium is listed as New York New Jersey Stadium, and SoFi Stadium as Los Angeles Stadium.

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Teams and Groups

The tournament features 48 teams, including debutants Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan, competing in 12 groups (A-L).

Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, Denmark/Macedonia/Czechia/Ireland
Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales/Bosnia
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D: USA, Australia, Paraguay, Turkiye/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo
Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania
Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname
Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, DRC/Jamaica/New Caledonia
Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana

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Tournament Format

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will follow an expanded format:

• Group Stage: 12 groups of 4 teams each; top 2 from each group plus 8 best third-placed teams advance to Round of 32.
• Knockout Rounds:
  • Round of 32: June 28 – July 3
  • Round of 16: July 4–7
  • Quarterfinals: July 9–11
  • Semifinals: July 14–15
  • Bronze Medal Match: July 18
  • Final: July 19

The round of 32 is a new addition, replacing the traditional Round of 16 as the first knockout stage due to the increased number of teams.

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Full Match Schedule: Group Stage Highlights

June 11:

• Mexico vs South Africa, 3 PM – Mexico City Stadium, Mexico
• South Korea vs TBD, 10 PM – Estadio Guadalajara, Mexico

June 12:

• Canada vs TBD, 3 PM – Toronto Stadium, Canada
• USA vs Paraguay, 9 PM – Los Angeles Stadium, US

June 13:

• Qatar vs Switzerland, 3 PM – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, US
• Brazil vs Morocco, 6 PM – New York New Jersey Stadium, US
• Haiti vs Scotland, 9 PM – Boston Stadium, US
• Australia vs TBD, 12 AM – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada

June 14–27:
The group stage continues across the three host nations with multiple matches daily. Key fixtures include:

• Germany vs Curacao – Houston Stadium
• Netherlands vs Japan – Dallas Stadium
• Spain vs Cape Verde – Atlanta Stadium
• Argentina vs Algeria – Kansas City Stadium

(The full daily match schedule spans 17 days with multiple matches per day across the 16 venues.)

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Knockout Stage Schedule

• Round of 32: June 28 – July 3, multiple venues
• Round of 16: July 4–7, key matches in US stadiums including New York New Jersey, Houston, Dallas
• Quarterfinals: July 9–11, notable stadiums include Miami, Boston, Los Angeles
• Semifinals: July 14–15 – Dallas and Atlanta
• Bronze Medal Match: July 18 – Miami
• Final: July 19 – New York New Jersey Stadium

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Defending Champions and Debutants

• Defending Champions: Argentina, winners of 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
• Debut Nations: Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, Uzbekistan