The stage is set for the biggest FIFA World Cup in history. The 2026 tournament, jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, will feature an unprecedented 48 teams competing across 104 matches in 16 world-class venues.
FIFA has officially unveiled the full match schedule, detailing key dates for the Group Stage, new knockout rounds, and the highly anticipated Final, alongside the results of the Final Draw.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 marks the first time 48 nations will participate, necessitating an expanded format with 12 groups. The tournament will kick off on Thursday, June 11, 2026, and conclude with the Final on Sunday, July 19, 2026.
A significant change is the introduction of a Round of 32, preceding the traditional Round of 16. This structure will ensure non-stop football action across the three host countries for over a month.
In a fitting tribute to the co-hosts, the tournament’s first matches will be split across the three nations:
- Official Opening Match: The action begins on Thursday, June 11, 2026, with Mexico (Group A, designated as Mexico #1) playing South Africa in a highly symbolic contest at the legendary Mexico City Stadium. This pairing serves as a direct replay of the thrilling 2010 tournament opener.
- Canadian Debut: The following day, Friday, June 12, 2026, Canada (Group B, Canada #1) will host their first match at the Toronto Stadium.
- USA’s Start: Also on Friday, June 12, 2026, the United States (Group D, USA #1) will begin their campaign at the Los Angeles Stadium.
The Final Draw has placed the 48 teams into 12 groups (A through L). The three host nations are seeded in Groups A, B, and D.
| Group | Pot 1 Seed | Pot 2 Team | Pot 3 Team | Pot 4 Team |
| A | Mexico (Host) | South Korea | South Africa | UEFA Play-off D (e.g., Rep. of Ireland) |
| B | Canada (Host) | Qatar | Switzerland | UEFA Play-off A (e.g., Wales/N. Ireland) |
| C | Brazil | Morocco | Scotland | Haiti |
| D | USA (Host) | Paraguay | Australia | UEFA Play-off C (e.g., Turkey/Slovakia) |
| E | Germany | Ivory Coast | Ecuador | Curacao |
| F | Netherlands | Japan | Tunisia | UEFA Play-off B (e.g., Ukraine/Poland) |
| G | Belgium | Egypt | Iran | New Zealand |
| H | Spain | Saudi Arabia | Uruguay | Cape Verde |
| I | France | Senegal | Norway | FIFA Play-off 2 (e.g., Iraq/Bolivia) |
| J | Argentina | Algeria | Austria | Jordan |
| K | Portugal | Uzbekistan | Colombia | FIFA Play-off 1 (e.g., DR Congo/Jamaica) |
| L | England | Croatia | Panama | Ghana |
The knockout phase of the competition will culminate in the final week with the tournament’s most crucial matches:
| Stage | Date(s) | Key Venue(s) |
| Round of 32 | Sunday, June 28 – Friday, July 3, 2026 | Spanning venues across the USA and Mexico. |
| Round of 16 | Saturday, July 4 – Tuesday, July 7, 2026 | Locations include Philadelphia, Houston, New York/New Jersey, Mexico City, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta, and Vancouver. |
| Quarter-Finals | Thursday, July 9 – Saturday, July 11, 2026 | Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Kansas City. |
| Semi-Finals | Tuesday, July 14, 2026 (Match 101) & Wednesday, July 15, 2026 (Match 102) | Dallas Stadium and Atlanta Stadium. |
| Bronze Final | Saturday, July 18, 2026 (Match 103) | Miami Stadium. |
| Final | Sunday, July 19, 2026 (Match 104) | New York New Jersey Stadium. |
The 16 host cities were selected to provide a seamless geographical flow for the teams and fans, minimizing travel where possible, especially in the early stages of the competition.
1. Mexico (3 Cities)
- Guadalajara (Estadio Guadalajara)
- Mexico City (Estadio Azteca)
- Monterrey (Estadio Monterrey)
2. Canada (2 Cities)
- Toronto (Toronto Stadium)
- Vancouver (BC Place)
3. United States (11 Cities)
- Atlanta (Atlanta Stadium)
- Boston (Boston Stadium)
- Dallas (Dallas Stadium)
- Houston (Houston Stadium)
- Kansas City (Kansas City Stadium)
- Los Angeles (Los Angeles Stadium)
- Miami (Miami Stadium)
- New York/New Jersey (New York New Jersey Stadium)
- Philadelphia (Philadelphia Stadium)
- San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium)
- Seattle (Seattle Stadium)