Tournament at a glance
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026, hosted across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is the first 48-team edition, with 104 matches in total. This guide is written in a clear directory format so you can find every fact — dates, groups, venues and teams — in one organised place.
- 48 teams in 12 groups of four
- 104 matches (72 group + 32 knockout)
- Opening match at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
- Final at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Key dates
| Stage | Date | Venue / Location |
|---|---|---|
| Opening match | June 11, 2026 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Group stage | June 11 – June 27, 2026 | All 16 host cities |
| Round of 32 | June 28 – July 3, 2026 | Across host nations |
| Round of 16 | July 4 – July 7, 2026 | Across host nations |
| Quarter-finals | July 9 – July 11, 2026 | Across host nations |
| Semi-finals | July 14 & 15, 2026 | Dallas & Atlanta |
| Third-place match | July 18, 2026 | Miami |
| Final | July 19, 2026 | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey |
Groups
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| Group A | Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia |
| Group B | Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland |
| Group C | Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland |
| Group D | United States, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye |
| Group E | Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador |
| Group F | Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia |
| Group G | Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand |
| Group H | Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay |
| Group I | France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway |
| Group J | Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan |
| Group K | Portugal, Congo DR, Uzbekistan, Colombia |
| Group L | England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama |
How qualification works
Top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advance to a new Round of 32.