World Cup 2026: All You Need to Know
Football’s biggest stage is set for a historic shift as the FIFA World Cup 2026 opens in two days, expanding to 48 teams and being jointly hosted by three countries for the first time: Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The tournament, widely regarded as the world’s premier international football competition, runs from June to July 2026, with the final scheduled for Sunday, 19 July 2026, in New York/New Jersey. The final will be held at MetLife Stadium, listed by FIFA as New York/New Jersey Stadium. The opening match will be played on Thursday, 11 June 2026, in Mexico City, where Mexico will face South Africa at Estadio Azteca, a venue set to become the first stadium to host games at three different men’s World Cups.
The 2026 edition breaks fresh ground in scale. For the first time, 48 teams will compete, with the tournament expanding from 64 to 104 matches. The teams are split into 12 groups of four, with each side playing three group-stage matches. The top two teams in each group advance alongside the eight best third-place teams, creating a new Round of 32 before the traditional Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
Qualified teams by region
Co-hosts: Canada, Mexico, United States.
AFC: Australia, Iraq, IR Iran, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan.
CAF: Algeria, Cabo Verde, Congo DR, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia.
CONCACAF: Curaçao, Haiti, Panama.
CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay.
OFC: New Zealand.
UEFA: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czechia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye.
Host cities and stadiums
The tournament is staged across 16 cities and 16 stadiums in three countries. Canada hosts in Toronto (Toronto Stadium) and Vancouver (BC Place). Mexico hosts in Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey. The United States hosts in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle.
Rules, soundtrack and symbols
FIFA has introduced new rules guiding the tournament, including red cards for walk-off protests and permission for players to wear previously prohibited items under specified conditions.
The competition has also made musical history with a record 18-track official album, featuring four of Nigeria’s biggest stars: Davido, Burna Boy, Rema and Ayra Starr.
The official match ball, adidas TRIONDA, was unveiled on 2 October 2025. Its name means “three waves,” reflecting the three host nations, with red, green and blue design elements. The official mascots, unveiled in September 2025, are Maple the Moose (Canada), Zayu the Jaguar (Mexico) and Clutch the Bald Eagle (United States).
Argentina, winners of the 2022 edition, will aim to defend their title.