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Tournament Overview
The Grandest Stage
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will mark the 23rd iteration of this prestigious quadrennial international men's association football championship. It is contested by national teams representing FIFA member associations, making it the pinnacle event in global football.
A Historic Tri-Nation Hosting
For the first time in its history, the FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by three nations: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. This collaborative effort spans 16 host cities across North America, signifying a new era of international cooperation in sports.
Dates and Duration
The tournament is scheduled to commence on June 11, 2026, and will culminate in the final match on July 19, 2026. This edition will feature an extended duration of 39 days, accommodating the expanded format.
Expanded Format
48 Teams
A significant evolution for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is the expansion of the tournament field from 32 to 48 participating teams. This increase allows for greater global representation and more competitive pathways.
Group Stage Structure
The 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups, each comprising four teams. The top two finishers from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to a newly introduced knockout stage featuring 32 teams.
Match Volume
This expansion increases the total number of matches from 64 to 104. Teams reaching the latter stages will play a maximum of eight matches, maintaining a balance between increased participation and competitive intensity.
Host Selection
Joint Bid Triumph
The "United 2026" bid, a collaborative effort by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, was successfully selected as the host. This bid prevailed over a rival bid submitted by Morocco during the 68th FIFA Congress held in Moscow.
The FIFA Vote
On June 13, 2018, the FIFA Congress voted, with the United bid securing a decisive 134 valid votes against Morocco's 65. This decision marked the first time the tournament would be hosted by three nations.
Historical Hosting
Mexico becomes the first nation to host or co-host the men's World Cup three times, having previously hosted in 1970 and 1986. The United States hosted in 1994, while this marks Canada's debut as a host or co-host.
Host Cities & Venues
Sixteen Host Cities
A total of 16 venues across the three host nations have been selected. These include 2 in Canada, 3 in Mexico, and 11 in the United States. The final match will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Playing Surfaces
Eight of the selected stadiums utilize permanent artificial turf. FIFA plans to replace these with natural grass surfaces prior to the tournament, following research recommendations. Indoor venues feature retractable roofs and climate control.
Regional Grouping
Host cities are grouped into three regions—West, Central, and East—to optimize travel logistics for teams and fans. This regional approach aims to minimize travel time and facilitate smoother tournament operations.
Teams & Qualification
Automatic Qualification
As host nations, Canada, Mexico, and the United States automatically secure berths in the 48-team tournament. This ensures representation from all three organizing countries.
Expanded Slots & Playoffs
The tournament's expansion grants six CONCACAF teams automatic qualification. Additionally, an inter-confederation playoff tournament involving six teams (one from each confederation except UEFA) will determine the final two World Cup spots, serving as a test event.
Qualified Teams
As of the latest updates, 13 teams have secured their place. Notably, Jordan and Uzbekistan will make their World Cup debuts. The qualification process across all confederations is ongoing.
The Draw Ceremony
Date and Location
The official draw ceremony is scheduled for December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The event will commence at 12:00 UTC-5 (EST).
Unconfirmed Participants
It is important to note that the final draw will occur before the conclusion of all qualification pathways. The four UEFA playoff winners and the two inter-confederation playoff winners will be determined in March 2026, after the draw has taken place.
Host Nation Seeding
As per tradition and confirmed arrangements, the host nations have been seeded into specific groups. Mexico is placed in Group A, Canada in Group B, and the United States in Group D, ensuring each host plays its initial matches domestically.
Match Schedule
Key Dates
The tournament kicks off on June 11, 2026, with Mexico playing the opening match at the historic Estadio Azteca. The grand final is scheduled for July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium.
Global Audience
Match assignments and kickoff times, particularly for non-host groups, will be finalized after the draw to optimize viewing for global audiences across different time zones.
Venue Allocation
The United States will host the majority of matches (78), including all quarter-final matches and beyond. Canada and Mexico will each host 13 matches. All venues, except Estadio Akron, are slated to host at least one knockout stage fixture.
Group Stage Details
Tie-Breaking Criteria
In the event of teams being level on points within a group, rankings are determined by: points obtained between the tied teams, goal difference between them, goals scored between them. Further criteria include overall goal difference, overall goals scored, disciplinary record (fair play points), and finally, FIFA rankings.
Group A
The opening match features host Mexico. Group stage matches for Group A are scheduled from June 11 to June 24, 2026.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | A2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
3 | A3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
4 | A4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match: June 11, 2026
Group B
Host Canada opens their campaign in this group. Matches are scheduled from June 12 to June 24, 2026.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | B2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
3 | B3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
4 | B4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match: June 12, 2026
Group C
Matches for Group C are scheduled from June 13 to June 25, 2026.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | C1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | C2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
3 | C3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
4 | C4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match: June 13, 2026
Group D
Host United States begins their campaign in this group. Matches are scheduled from June 12 to June 25, 2026.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | D2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
3 | D3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
4 | D4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match: June 12, 2026
Group E
Matches for Group E are scheduled from June 14 to June 25, 2026.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | E1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | E2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
3 | E3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
4 | E4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match: June 14, 2026
Group F
Matches for Group F are scheduled from June 14 to June 26, 2026.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | F1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | F2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
3 | F3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
4 | F4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match: June 14, 2026
Group G
Matches for Group G are scheduled from June 15 to June 26, 2026.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | G1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | G2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
3 | G3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
4 | G4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match: June 15, 2026
Group H
Matches for Group H are scheduled from June 15 to June 26, 2026.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | H1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | H2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
3 | H3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
4 | H4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match: June 15, 2026
Group I
Matches for Group I are scheduled from June 16 to June 26, 2026.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | I1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | I2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
3 | I3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
4 | I4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match: June 16, 2026
Group J
Matches for Group J are scheduled from June 16 to June 27, 2026.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | J1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | J2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
3 | J3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
4 | J4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match: June 16, 2026
Group K
Matches for Group K are scheduled from June 17 to June 27, 2026.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | K1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | K2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
3 | K3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
4 | K4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match: June 17, 2026
Group L
Matches for Group L are scheduled from June 17 to June 27, 2026.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | L1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | L2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
3 | L3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
4 | L4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match: June 17, 2026
Knockout Stage
The Road to the Final
Following the group stage, the tournament progresses to a 32-team knockout phase. This single-elimination bracket determines the path to the final.
Round of 32
The first knockout round, featuring 32 teams, commences on June 28, 2026, setting the stage for the subsequent rounds.
Championship Match
The ultimate contest, the FIFA World Cup Final, is scheduled for July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, crowning the world champion.
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References
References
- The Kennesaw State University campus has a Kennesaw mailing address but is in unincorporated Cobb County.
- Oakland University has a Rochester mailing address, but the university's soccer complex is within the city limits of Rochester Hills.
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Important Notice
This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.
This is not professional sports or travel advice. The information provided on this website should not be considered a substitute for official FIFA documentation, venue-specific guidelines, or professional consultation. Always verify details with official sources.
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