2026 World Cup dates, venues, host cities, format and schedule for USA, Canada and Mexico tournament
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
Saturday 6 December 2025 18:52, 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.
When is the 2026 World Cup?
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.
Where is the 2026 World Cup?
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.
The last time North America hosted the tournament was in 1994, when Brazil triumphed after beating Italy on penalties.
2026 World Cup venues - host cities and stadiums
USA
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)
Canada
Toronto Stadium - Toronto (capacity: 45,000)
BC Place Vancouver - Vancouver (capacity 54,000)
Mexico
Estadio Azteca Mexico City - Mexico City (capacity 83,000)
Estadio Monterrey - Guadalupe (capacity 53,500)
Estadio Guadalajara - Zapopan (capacity 48,000)
What's the format for the World Cup in 2026?
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The previous format of 32 teams in eight groups has been replaced by one featuring 12 groups of four.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.
What are the groups and fixtures?
Who has qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
Which teams are in the play-offs?
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
Inter-confederation
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
World Cup 2026 match ball - Trionda
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.
World Cup 2026 match schedule
The full fixture list with group games and kick-off times will only be available after the draw for the final tournament, which takes place on December 5 in Washington.
But FIFA has already announced key dates and confirmed that the opening match will be held in Mexico City, with 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
