FIFA World Cup June 11–July 19, 2026

FIFA has fixed the 2026 men’s World Cup for June 11 through July 19, with matches spread across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The governing body says the event will be the first World Cup staged by three countries and the first to use a 48-team format, expanding the tournament to 104 matches. (fifa.com) FIFA published the full match schedule on March 31 and says Mexico City will host the opening game, while New York New Jersey will stage the final on July 19. (fifa.com) The schedule turns what had been a host-city outline into a venue-by-venue map for fans planning travel, tickets and lodging. FIFA’s host-city pages and match listings now show which stadiums get group games, knockout rounds, semifinals and the final. (fifa.com) ### Which dates are locked in now? June 11, 2026 is the opening date and July 19, 2026 is the final date, according to FIFA’s official tournament page. FIFA says the tournament returns to its traditional June-July window and that the full match schedule was first announced on February 4, 2024, before being updated with venues and kick-off times in December 2025 and published in full fixture form in March 2026. (fifa.com) March 31, 2026 is the publication date on FIFA’s current schedule page, which lists all 104 fixtures. That page identifies the opening match as Mexico against South Africa at Mexico City Stadium on Thursday, June 11. (fifa.com) ### How much bigger is this tournament? Forty-eight teams will play 104 matches, FIFA says, making it the largest World Cup to date. FIFA describes the 2026 edition as the “biggest and most inclusive” men’s World Cup, with games distributed across 16 host cities in three countries. Sixteen cities were selected across the three co-hosts. (fifa.com) FIFA says 11 are in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada. ### Where do the biggest knockout games go? New York New Jersey Stadium will host the final on July 19, FIFA says. FIFA’s final match page identifies that game as Match 104, and the New York New Jersey host-city page lists eight matches there, ending with the final. (fifa.com) Atlanta will host eight matches, including a semifinal, according to FIFA’s Atlanta host-city page. FIFA’s official schedule and host-city information also place the other semifinal in Dallas. (fifa.com) ### What does the schedule show for the co-hosts? Mexico will open the tournament in Mexico City on June 11, FIFA says. Canada’s first match is scheduled for June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the United States opens on June 12 in Los Angeles against Paraguay. (fifa.com) Toronto, Mexico City and Los Angeles were designated to host the opening matches for the three co-host national teams, FIFA said when it unveiled the match schedule. (fifa.com) FIFA also said the format was designed to limit travel and protect rest and recovery. ### What can fans verify city by city? (fifa.com) FIFA’s host-city pages now let fans check the exact slate for each venue. The New York New Jersey page lists group-stage games involving Brazil, France, Germany and England before a round of 32, a round of 16 and the final. Atlanta’s page lists eight matches, including a semifinal, while FIFA’s central host-cities page links out to the full set of venues across Canada, Mexico and the United States. (fifa.com) FIFA’s live scores and fixtures page is also already active ahead of the June 11 start. July 8 and July 9 are the semifinal dates on FIFA’s schedule, with Dallas and Atlanta hosting those matches before the July 19 final in New York New Jersey. (fifa.com) The full fixture list and city pages are available now on FIFA’s tournament site as teams and fans plan for the June 11 opener. (fifa.com 1) (fifa.com 2) (fifa.com 3)