FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule: 48 Teams, New Format, and Venues.

FIFA World Cup 2026: A Historic 48-Team Global Celebration

Everything you need to know about the 23rd edition hosted by USA, Mexico, and Canada.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be a landmark event in sporting history. Running from June 11 to July 19, 2026, this 23rd edition will be the first ever to be co-hosted by three nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Beyond the geography, it marks a massive expansion as the tournament grows from 32 to 48 national teams for the first time.

Key Schedule & Host Venues

• 🚀 Opening Match: June 11, 2026, at the historic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, featuring Mexico vs. South Africa.
• 🏆 Grand Final: Sunday, July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium (officially New York New Jersey Stadium) in New Jersey, USA.
• 📍 Host Cities: Matches will span 16 cities: 11 in the USA, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada.

The New Expanded Format

The shift to 48 teams introduces a dynamic new structure to the competition:

Group Stage	12 Groups of 4 teams each.
Qualification	Top two from each group + 8 best third-placed teams advance to the Round of 32.
Total Matches	Increased to 104 matches (up from 64 in previous editions).

Noteworthy Matchups (Group Stage)

Following the draw held on December 5, 2025, in Washington, several high-stakes matches have been confirmed:

Date (2026)	Matchup	Stadium	City
June 11	Mexico vs. South Africa	Azteca	Mexico City
June 13	USA vs. Paraguay	SoFi Stadium	Los Angeles
June 13	Brazil vs. Morocco	MetLife	New Jersey
June 15	Belgium vs. Egypt	Lumen Field	Seattle
June 17	Argentina vs. Algeria	Arrowhead	Kansas City

💡 Did you know? Africa will have 9 direct qualifying spots for the first time, leading to a strong Arab and African presence, including teams like Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria!