World Cup 2026 runs June 11–July 19

FIFA has set the 2026 World Cup for June 11 through July 19, with matches spread across Canada, Mexico and the United States in the first men’s World Cup to be staged by three host countries. The governing body says the event will be the largest in tournament history, with 48 teams playing 104 matches across 16 host cities. (fifa.com) FIFA published the full match schedule on its website and said the opening match is due to be played on Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Mexico City Stadium. The final is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, 2026, in New York New Jersey. ### Which dates are locked in for the tournament? (fifa.com) FIFA says the tournament will open on June 11 and end on July 19, returning to the usual June-July window for the men’s World Cup. The governing body said the full match schedule was announced on February 4, 2024, and later updated with venues and kick-off times for all 104 matches. The March 30 schedule page lists the day-by-day fixtures for the tournament, beginning with Mexico against South Africa in Group A in Mexico City Stadium. USA Today and other outlets have reported the same opening matchup. (fifa.com) ### How much bigger is this World Cup than previous ones? FIFA says 48 teams will take part in 2026, up from 32 in the previous format, and the tournament will include 104 fixtures. FIFA describes it as the first edition shared by three host countries and the first men’s World Cup with 48 teams. (fifa.com) FIFA’s teams page shows the expanded field already laid out by group, including hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States. The schedule page lists group-stage fixtures running from June 11 onward across venues in all three countries. (fifa.com) ### Which cities and stadiums are hosting matches? FIFA says 16 cities were selected to host matches: 11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada. FIFA announced those host cities in 2022 and continues to list them on its tournament site. The host-city lineup spans Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle in the United States; Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey in Mexico; and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. (fifa.com) FIFA’s stadium guide says those venues will stage the full tournament across North America. (fifa.com) ### Where do the hosts begin their campaigns? Mexico is scheduled to play South Africa in the opening game on June 11 in Mexico City Stadium, according to FIFA’s fixture list. Canada is scheduled to open on June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto Stadium, while the United States is set to face Paraguay the same day in Los Angeles Stadium. (fifa.com) FIFA’s group listings place Mexico in Group A, Canada in Group B and the United States in Group D. The same schedule page sets out the early sequence of matches for the three co-hosts. (fifa.com) ### Where can fans check the official details now? FIFA has published the full fixture list, host-city pages and team groupings on its World Cup 2026 website. The governing body’s articles say fans can use those pages to track dates, venues, participating teams and ticket information. (fifa.com) July 19, 2026, is the next fixed milestone on FIFA’s calendar, with the final set for New York New Jersey after 39 days of matches across the three host nations. (fifa.com 1) (fifa.com 2) (fifa.com 3)