FIFA World Cup 2026 — your complete tournament guide

What makes the 2026 FIFA World Cup different

This is the 23rd edition of the men's World Cup and the first to be co-hosted by three countries. The United States hosts 11 of the 16 venues, with Mexico hosting 3 and Canada hosting 2. It is also the first FIFA World Cup 2026 to feature 48 teams instead of 32, expanding the group stage from eight groups of four to twelve groups of four, with the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advancing to a new round of 32. That extra round means knockout football starts earlier, lasts longer, and the eventual champions will play eight matches instead of seven on their road to the trophy.

The opening match is set for Estadio Banorte in Mexico City on 11 June 2026 — Mexico against South Africa — and the final is locked in for MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on 19 July, branded by FIFA as "New York New Jersey Stadium" for the duration of the tournament. Between those two dates, fans, players and bettors get 39 straight days of elite international football.

Schedule, dates and the road to the final

The full FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule was unveiled on 6 December 2025, the day after the official draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The group stage runs from 11 June through 27 June, with three matchdays in each of the twelve groups. The new round of 32 begins on 28 June, the round of 16 follows on 4 July, the quarter-finals are 9–11 July, the semi-finals split between AT&T Stadium in Dallas and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on 14–15 July, the third-place playoff lands in Miami on 18 July, and the trophy is lifted in New Jersey on 19 July.

For the full breakdown of every kickoff time, every group-stage matchday and every knockout pairing, head to our tournament schedule and dates page. If you're more interested in how the bracket fills out from the round of 32 onwards, our FIFA World Cup brackets page tracks every path to the final.

Groups, draw and standings

The 48 teams have been divided into 12 groups of four — Groups A through L — with each group anchored by a seeded nation. Group A opens the tournament with hosts Mexico facing South Africa, South Korea and Czechia. Group D, headed by the United States, plays out at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and other US venues. Canada anchors Group B alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland.

You can dig into every FIFA World Cup 2026 groups matchup, the order of fixtures, and how the live FIFA World Cup standings will update through matchday three on our dedicated groups page. Six places at the tournament were decided through inter-confederation playoffs in March 2026, and the final list of 48 qualified teams is also covered there.

Tickets — what's still available

FIFA's official ticket programme moved through several phases starting in late 2025, and resale activity has been heavy ever since. FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets are sold exclusively through FIFA's own platform and a small number of authorised partners; anything outside that is unauthorised. Group-stage prices started at $60 and climb sharply for knockout rounds — final tickets on FIFA's resale site have already been listed at over $2 million for premium hospitality packages, and standard final seats start in the low thousands.

For a category-by-category breakdown, including the lottery process, Visa and Chase cardholder presales, hospitality packages and the official resale platform, see our FIFA World Cup tickets guide.

Host cities and stadiums

The 16 host cities span three time zones and three countries. United States: Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), Boston (Gillette Stadium), Dallas (AT&T Stadium), Houston (NRG Stadium), Kansas City (Arrowhead Stadium), Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium), Miami (Hard Rock Stadium), New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium), Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field), San Francisco Bay Area (Levi's Stadium) and Seattle (Lumen Field). Mexico: Mexico City (Estadio Banorte), Guadalajara (Estadio Akron) and Monterrey (Estadio BBVA). Canada: Toronto (BMO Field) and Vancouver (BC Place).

Four of the US venues — Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Vancouver — have retractable roofs, which matters for June and July afternoons in the southern United States. Eight stadiums had artificial turf replaced with hybrid grass specifically for the tournament. Estadio Banorte (formerly Estadio Azteca) is the only stadium in 2026 that has previously hosted World Cup matches, having staged finals in both 1970 and 1986. For full details, see our FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities and stadiums guide.

Qualifiers — how the 48 teams got here

The hosts qualified automatically. The other 45 places were distributed across the six confederations: 16 from UEFA (Europe), 9 from CAF (Africa), 8 from AFC (Asia), 6 from CONMEBOL (South America), 6 from CONCACAF (Central/North America/Caribbean, including the three host nations' three slots) and 1 from OFC (Oceania), plus 6 places contested through inter-confederation playoffs in March 2026.

Each region had its own qualifying journey, from CONMEBOL's marathon home-and-away league to the multi-stage AFC and CAF formats. The full FIFA World Cup qualifiers page breaks down each confederation's standings, schedule, top scorers and the surprises that defined the road to North America.

Where to watch — TV, streaming and mobile

In the United States, FOX and Telemundo split English-language and Spanish-language broadcast rights. In Canada, CTV and TSN handle most matches. In Mexico, TUDN and Azteca cover the host nation's run plus marquee fixtures. Outside North America, BBC and ITV share the UK, Sky/ITV regional rights, beIN handles much of MENA, and SBS holds Australian rights. For a full country-by-country breakdown of how to follow every kickoff, including official streaming apps and free-to-air options, our live stream and where-to-watch page has it all.

Betting on the World Cup at SpinBetter

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Frequently asked questions about the FIFA World Cup 2026