Football
2026 World Cup takes place across United States, Canada and Mexico; 48 teams will compete in expanded tournament with final in New York-New Jersey
Thursday 5 March 2026 12:52, UK
The 2026 men’s World Cup will be the biggest in the tournament’s history.
An expanded World Cup will feature 48 teams – 16 more than in Qatar 2022 – and take place across three host nations for the first time.
From format to key dates, here’s all you need to know about football’s next global showpiece.
The 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup takes place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
It will be the 23rd edition of the tournament.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed the 2026 World Cup final will have a half-time show.
Coldplay will be involved in putting together the event at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July, in a move inspired by NFL’s Super Bowl.
The 2026 tournament will take place across 16 cities in three North American countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico.
It is the first time a World Cup has been hosted by three nations.
Latest World Cup news
World Cup fixtures
The last time North America hosted the tournament was in 1994, when Brazil triumphed after beating Italy on penalties.
Dallas Stadium – Arlington, Texas (capacity 94,000)
New York New Jersey Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey (capacity 82,500)
Atlanta Stadium – Atlanta, Georgia (capacity 75,000)
Kansas City Stadium – Kansas City, Missouri (73,000)
Houston Stadium – Houston, Texas (capacity 72,000)
San Francisco Bay Area Stadium – Santa Clara, California (71,000)
Los Angeles Stadium – Inglewood, California (70,000)
Philadelphia Stadium – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (69,000)
Seattle Stadium – Seattle, Washington (capacity 69,000)
Boston Stadium – Foxborough, Massachusetts (65,000)
Miami Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida (capacity 65,000)
Toronto Stadium – Toronto (capacity: 45,000)
BC Place Vancouver – Vancouver (capacity 54,000)
Estadio Azteca Mexico City – Mexico City (capacity 83,000)
Estadio Monterrey – Guadalupe (capacity 53,500)
Estadio Guadalajara – Zapopan (capacity 48,000)
The prize money for the 2026 World Cup was confirmed at a FIFA Council meeting in Doha on December 17.
The prize fund is up 50 per cent on that of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the breakdown is as follows:
Each team also receives $1.5m (£1.1m) to cover preparation costs, meaning every team is guaranteed at least $10.5m (£7.87m).
A bumper line-up of nations means there will be 104 matches for football fans to feast on – 40 more than in Qatar.
As a consequence, the knockout stage will start with a round of 32.
The previous format of 32 teams in eight groups has been replaced by one featuring 12 groups of four.
The top two teams in each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 32.
UEFA
Play-off Path A:
Semi-final: Italy vs Northern Ireland
Semi-final: Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Final: Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy/Northern Ireland
Play-off Path B:
Semi-final: Ukraine vs Sweden
Semi-final: Poland vs Albania
Final: Ukraine/Sweden vs Poland/Albania
Play-off Path C:
Semi-final: Turkey vs Romania
Semi-final: Slovakia vs Kosovo
Final: Slovakia/Kosovo vs Turkey/Romania
Play-off Path D:
Semi-final: Denmark vs North Macedonia
Semi-final: Czech Republic vs Republic of Ireland
Final: Czech Republic/Republic of Ireland vs Denmark/North Macedonia
Play-off Path A:
Semi-final: New Caledonia vs Jamaica
Final: New Caledonia/Jamaica vs Congo
Play-off Path B:
Semi-final: Bolivia vs Suriname
Final: Bolivia/Suriname vs Iraq
The official match ball has been manufactured by Adidas and is called the Trionda, which translated from Spanish means “three waves”.
It features a red, green and blue colour scheme that pays homage to the three host countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Adidas claim that its “connected ball technology” will be helpful in relaying data to VAR, with AI helping to make decisions.
The full fixture list is now out, with the opening match held in Mexico City and the final taking place at the New York New Jersey Stadium – home of the New York Giants and New York Jets.
Group stage: June 11-27
Round of 32: June 28 to July 3
Round of 16: July 4-7
Quarter-finals: July 9-11
Semi-finals: July 14-15
Third-place play-off (‘Bronze final’): July 18
Final: July 19
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