The 2026 FIFA World Cup in three countries, 16 cities, 48 teams.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is the 23rd edition of football's premier international tournament, and the first ever to be co-hosted by three nations. Across 39 days, 48 teams will play 104 matches in 16 cities, finishing with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July 2026. This guide is built around what fans actually want to know: when each game kicks off, who has qualified, where to watch, where to sit, and how to bet.

FIFA World Cup 2026 at a glance

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on Thursday 11 June 2026 with a Mexico fixture at the iconic Estadio Azteca, and ends with the final on Sunday 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium. In between, the tournament rotates through three host countries on a regional pattern designed to limit team travel: most U.S. group-stage matches are clustered by region, Mexico's three venues host a Mexico-led group, and Canada's two stadiums each anchor a Western and Eastern hub.

The expansion to 48 teams reshapes everything. With 12 groups of four instead of eight groups of four, only the two bottom teams in each group go home after the first round. The 32 surviving sides — group winners, group runners-up, and eight best third-placed teams — drop straight into a Round of 32 knockout, doubling the win-or-go-home drama compared to Qatar 2022.

The 2026 schedule and key dates

Group-stage play runs from 11 to 27 June across all 16 host cities, with three matches a day in the early window and four a day at peak. The Round of 32 starts on 28 June, and the bracket compresses fast: Round of 16 on 4–7 July, quarter-finals on 9–11 July, semi-finals on 14–15 July, the third-place playoff on 18 July, and the final on 19 July. The full match calendar with kickoff times, venues and TV listings is on our schedule page.

The 48 qualified teams

For the first time, 48 nations have a direct path to the FIFA World Cup. The slot allocation by confederation is: UEFA (Europe) 16, CAF (Africa) 9, AFC (Asia) 8, CONMEBOL (South America) 6, CONCACAF (North America) 6 including the three hosts, OFC (Oceania) 1, plus two intercontinental playoff places decided in March 2026.

Three host nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico — qualified automatically. South American powers Argentina (the 2022 champions), Brazil and Uruguay booked their places early in CONMEBOL qualifying. From Europe, France, England, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Germany are among the heavy hitters who came through. Track every confederation's path on the qualifiers page, see how the 12 groups were drawn at the draw page, and follow the live standings once the tournament begins.

Brackets, knockouts and the road to MetLife

The new format for the FIFA World Cup creates a bigger, sharper knockout phase. Eighty teams are eliminated across just five rounds, and seedings flow from group performance — group winners get easier draws in the Round of 32. Argentina's title defence, Brazil's hunt for a sixth star, France's chance to repeat the 2018 run, and an England side desperate for a first trophy since 1966 all converge in a single bracket. The full FIFA World Cup brackets, with the draw tree from Round of 32 down to the final, are mapped on our brackets page.

Where matches are played: 16 host cities

The host venues span a continent. Eleven U.S. host cities — Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle — pair with Mexico's Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, plus Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. Capacities range from around 45,000 (BC Place in Vancouver) to over 80,000 (MetLife Stadium and AT&T Stadium). Detailed venue profiles, including which stage each ground hosts, are on the stadiums page.

Tickets and how to attend

Tickets are sold through FIFA's official platform via a phased lottery system. The first ticket window opened in late 2025, and resale and last-minute releases continue through the summer of 2026. Prices vary widely: a group-stage match in a smaller-capacity venue may start near 60 USD in the cheapest categories, while final-day tickets at MetLife sit deep into the four-figure range. A full breakdown of ticket prices, the lottery process and category rules is on the tickets page.

Betting on the World Cup

The 2026 World Cup is the single biggest betting event in football, with markets opening on outright winner, top scorer (the Golden Boot), best young player, group winners, stage of elimination, total tournament goals and dozens more. Pre-tournament outright odds price Argentina, France and Brazil at the front of the market, with England, Spain and Germany in the next tier. Live in-play markets — next goal, next corner, next card — multiply on every match. Our betting guide covers strategies, recommended markets and how to claim the SpinBetter welcome offer — sports up to 500 USD/EUR matched, or casino up to 1500 USD/EUR + 150 free spins.

Watching the FIFA World Cup live

Every match of the tournament will be broadcast in every major football market. In the United States, FOX carries English-language rights and Telemundo handles Spanish coverage; in Canada, TSN and CTV split the schedule; in Mexico, TUDN, Azteca and Canal 5 share the load. Outside North America, BBC/ITV (UK), ARD/ZDF (Germany), TF1 (France) and beIN (Middle East and North Africa) lead. Streaming options, kickoff timing across time zones and live-betting platforms are detailed on the live streams page.

Frequently asked questions