Noureldein GhanemWashington, DC — The FIFA World Cup returns to North America for the 2026 edition, sparking widespread excitement across the continent for football’s premier tournament.
Co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the landmark tournament will feature 104 matches, promising a vibrant celebration of football on an unprecedented scale.
Most games will take place in the US, with some teams based in its northern neighbour Canada and its southern neighbour Mexico. The latter will host the opening match on June 11 between host Mexico and South Africa.
Playing teams and groups
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the largest in history, featuring 48 teams following an expansion from the traditional 32-team format.
There are 16 teams from Europe, 10 from Africa, 9 from Asia, 6 from South America, 6 from North America and 1 from Oceania.
The teams are divided into 12 groups as follows:
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and Czechia.
Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland.
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti and Scotland.
Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye.
Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden and Tunisia.
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran and New Zealand.
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
Group I : France, Senegal, Iraq and Norway.
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
Group K: Portugal, DRC, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
Group L : England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
The knockout stages will also be the biggest, with 32 teams advancing to the knockout phase instead of the regular 16.
Groups I and L have been labelled 'Groups of Death' by analysts.
New arrivals
Four teams are making their debut in this World Cup: Jordan, Cape Verde, Curacao and Uzbekistan.
Host cities
The majority of the World Cup matches will be played in the US, with 11 cities serving as hosts, including Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Boston, Dallas, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the New York City metropolitan area.
Mexico is offering three host cities: Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey.
Canada offers two cities as hosts: Toronto and Vancouver.
Stadiums
Matches will be hosted across 16 stadiums in the three countries as follows:
US: Atlanta Stadium, Boston Stadium, Dallas Stadium, Houston Stadium, Kansas City Stadium, Los Angeles Stadium, Miami Stadium, New York New Jersey Stadium (Tournament Final), Philadelphia Stadium, San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, and Seattle Stadium.
Mexico: Estadio Guadalajara, Mexico City Stadium (Tournament Opener), and Estadio Monterrey.
Canada: Toronto Stadium and BC Place Vancouver.
Dates and ticket costs
The tournament will run from June 11 to July 19.
The knockout stage (round of 32) will take place from June 28 to July 3.
The round of 16 will start on July 4 and run until July 7.
The quarter-finals will begin on July 9 and run until July 11.
The semi-finals will start on July 14 and run until July 15.
The third-spot play-off is scheduled for July 18, and the final will be held on July 19 MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, branded as New York New Jersey Stadium.
Group-stage tickets vary widely, with lower-demand matches such as Curacao versus Ivory Coast costing around $400, and high-demand matches such as the US opening match costing over $4,000.
Tickets for the final matches vary widely depending on the seat category. Standard Category 3 tickets start at $5,785, while the highest tier for traditional lower-bowl seats costs $10,990.
The premium Category 1 front seats, located directly on the glass or in the front row, cost over $33,000.
