The 2026 World Cup schedule has been announced. The big final match will happen in New York/New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, and the very first game will be played in Mexico City.
About 48 teams will battle it out in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. That’s right, 48 teams instead of the usual 32, which means even more nail-biting matches and exciting upsets to cheer about.
Remember Argentina’s epic win in 2022? Well, this time around, even more countries will have a shot at glory.
Sixteen cities across all three countries will be buzzing with excitement as they host an assigned set of matches. In total, there will be 104 matches played. It’s the first time North America has hosted the World Cup since 1994.
The dates and times for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are also out. Notable stars like FIFA boss Gianni Infantino and Kevin Hart were there to reveal the exciting news.
Some teams, like those in South America, have already started their qualifying matches to see who gets to play in the big tournament. Mexico gets to kick things off in their home country, at the same stadium where Argentina won the championship way back in 1986! Talk about history!
Mexico isn’t the only one hosting matches, though. Their neighbours in Monterrey and Guadalajara are joining in, just like they did in 1986. Canada is also getting in on the action, with Toronto and Vancouver getting ready to welcome the world’s best football players. Toronto even gets the special honour of hosting Canada’s first-ever World Cup game on June 12, 2026.
The United States, one of the three host countries, will have the most stadiums hosting matches. Their journey starts on June 12th in Los Angeles. Remember, they made it to the round of 16 in 2022, but can they go further this time?
The 2026 World Cup gets underway on June 11, 2026, and runs until the 19th of July. The 48 teams will be split into 12 groups of four, with a round of 32 introduced ever. See below for more details.
Complete Schedule for the FIFA World Cup 2026
June 11–27: Group stage. Matches will be held in Vancouver. Toronto, Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Seattle, and San Francisco. Los Angeles, Houston. Dallas, Kansas City, and Atlanta. Miami, Boston, Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey
June 29–July 3: Round of 32. All host cities except Guadalajara and Philadelphia. Los Angeles and Dallas host two.
July 4–7: Round of 16, with matches in Vancouver, Seattle, Mexico City, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New York/New Jersey.
July 9–11: Quarter-finals in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami, and Boston.
July 14–15: Semi-finals in Dallas and Atlanta, rounding out an all-US quarter and semis schedule.
July 18: Third-place play-off, held in Miami.
July 19: Final, held in New York/New Jersey, at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
Get more details here.