Calling all soccer fans, the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially on! The highly anticipated tournament is less than 365 days away. With three countries and 104 matches on the calendar it promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans. The event is being called the most ambitious World Cup in history for a reason! For the first time ever, three nations will come together to host the most beautiful game, with the United States, Canada, and Mexico all welcoming 48 teams across 16 cities in North America. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of the tournament or just getting into the World Cup hype, June 11th to July 19th is when history will be made. Keep reading for an easy-to-understand guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup where we’ll share everything you need to know from format changes to ticket sales, so you won’t miss a second of the action!

The New Format

The biggest change from previous FIFA World Cup tournaments is the format revamp! For the first time since 1998, the tournament is getting a brand-new format with 48 teams now being divided into 12 groups of four, an increase from the previous 32-team format. Each team will play three matches during the Group Stage for a total of 72 group-stage matches played instead of 48, as seen in past years. After the group stage, the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place teams, will advance to a newly expanded Round of 32, beginning in late June 2026. From that stage forward, the tournament will follow a play-off format, with teams competing in single elimination matches through to the Final:

●      Round of 32

●      Round of 16

●      Quarterfinals

●      Semi-finals

●      Third place match

●      Final

Since changes were made to the overall format, the qualifications have also been changed a bit. The number of spots available to teams from each confederation has been increased for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On top of this, the OFC (Oceania Football Confederation) has been given one guaranteed place in the tournament, which it didn’t have previously. Also, two additional World Cup 2026 participants will be selected in a play-off mini tournament. Every confederation except Europe will be taking part in this new qualifier. FIFA says the reason behind the change is to make the edition the most expansive and dynamic in the history of the tournament!

Which Teams Have Qualified?

Out of the 211 national teams competing in the qualifiers for 2026, only 48 will make it through to the tournament. The three nations hosting the tournament, Canada, Mexico, and the United States have automatically qualified. As November's qualifiers play out, here are the 29 nations that have secured their spot so far:

●      Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan

●      Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia

●      Concacaf: None yet

●      Europe: England, France

●      Oceania: New Zealand

●      South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

The Full 2026 Schedule

FIFA World Cup 26: Group Stage Fixtures

Thursday, 11 June 2026

●      Match 1 - Group A (Mexico #1) – Estadio Azteca Mexico City

●      Match 2 – Group A - Estadio Guadalajara

Friday, 12 June 2026

●      Match 3 - Group B (Canada #1) – Toronto Stadium

●      Match 4 - Group D (USA #1) – Los Angeles Stadium

Saturday, 13 June 2026

●      Match 5 – Group C - Boston Stadium

●      Match 6 – Group D - BC Place Vancouver

●      Match 7 – Group C - New York New Jersey Stadium

●      Match 8 – Group B - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

Sunday, 14 June 2026

●      Match 9 – Group E - Philadelphia Stadium

●      Match 10 – Group E - Houston Stadium

●      Match 11 – Group F - Dallas Stadium

●      Match 12 – Group F - Estadio Monterrey

Monday, 15 June 2026

●      Match 13 – Group H - Miami Stadium

●      Match 14 – Group H - Atlanta Stadium

●      Match 15 – Group G - Los Angeles Stadium

●      Match 16 – Group G - Seattle Stadium

Tuesday, 16 June 2026

●      Match 17 – Group I - New York New Jersey Stadium

●      Match 18 – Group I - Boston Stadium

●      Match 19 – Group J - Kansas City Stadium

●      Match 20 – Group J - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

Wednesday, 17 June 2026

●      Match 21 – Group L - Toronto Stadium

●      Match 22 – Group L - Dallas Stadium

●      Match 23 – Group K - Houston Stadium

●      Match 24 – Group K - Estadio Azteca Mexico City

Thursday, 18 June 2026

●      Match 25 – Group A - Atlanta Stadium

●      Match 26 – Group B - Los Angeles Stadium

●      Match 27 - Group B - (Canada #2) – BC Place Vancouver

●      Match 28 - Group A - (Mexico #2) – Estadio Guadalajara

Friday, 19 June 2026

●      Match 29 – Group C - Philadelphia Stadium

●      Match 30 – Group C - Boston Stadium

●      Match 31 – Group D - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

●      Match 32 - Group D (USA #2) – Seattle Stadium

Saturday, 20 June 2026

●      Match 33 – Group E - Toronto Stadium

●      Match 34 – Group E - Kansas City Stadium

●      Match 35 – Group F - Houston Stadium

●      Match 36 – Group F - Estadio Monterrey

Sunday, 21 June 2026

●      Match 37 – Group H - Miami Stadium

●      Match 38 – Group H - Atlanta Stadium

●      Match 39 – Group G - Los Angeles Stadium

●      Match 40 – Group G - BC Place Vancouver

Monday, 22 June 2026

●      Match 41 – Group I - New York New Jersey Stadium

●      Match 42 – Group I - Philadelphia Stadium

●      Match 43 – Group J - Dallas Stadium

●      Match 44 – Group J - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

Tuesday, 23 June 2026

●      Match 45 – Group L - Boston Stadium

●      Match 46 – Group L - Toronto Stadium

●      Match 47 – Group K - Houston Stadium

●      Match 48 – Group K - Estadio Guadalajara

Wednesday, 24 June 2026

●      Match 49 – Group C - Miami Stadium

●      Match 50 – Group C - Atlanta Stadium

●      Match 51 - Group B (Canada #3) – BC Place Vancouver

●      Match 52 – Group B - Seattle Stadium

●      Match 53 - Group A - (Mexico #3) – Estadio Azteca Mexico City

●      Match 54 – Group A - Estadio Monterrey

Thursday, 25 June 2026

●      Match 55 – Group E - Philadelphia Stadium

●      Match 56 – Group E - New York New Jersey Stadium

●      Match 57 – Group F - Dallas Stadium

●      Match 58 – Group F - Kansas City Stadium

●      Match 59 - Group D - (USA #3) – Los Angeles Stadium

●      Match 60 – Group D - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

Friday, 26 June 2026

●      Match 61 – Group I - Boston Stadium

●      Match 62 – Group I - Toronto Stadium

●      Match 63 – Group G - Seattle Stadium

●      Match 64 – Group G - BC Place Vancouver

●      Match 65 – Group H - Houston Stadium

●      Match 66 – Group H - Estadio Guadalajara

Saturday, 27 June 2026

●      Match 67 – Group L - New York New Jersey Stadium

●      Match 68 – Group L - Philadelphia Stadium

●      Match 69 – Group J - Kansas City Stadium

●      Match 70 – Group J - Dallas Stadium

●      Match 71 – Group K - Miami Stadium

●      Match 72 – Group K - Atlanta Stadium

FIFA World Cup 26: Round of 32 Fixtures

Sunday, 28 June 2026

●      Match 73 – Group A runners-up v Group B runners-up - Los Angeles Stadium

Monday, 29 June 2026

●      Match 74 – Group E winners v Group A/B/C/D/F third place - Boston Stadium

●      Match 75 – Group F winners v Group C runners-up - Estadio Monterrey

●      Match 76 – Group C winners v Group F runners-up - Houston Stadium

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

●      Match 77 – Group I winners v Group C/D/F/G/H third place - New York New Jersey Stadium

●      Match 78 – Group E runners up v Group I runners-up - Dallas Stadium

●      Match 79 – Group A winners v Group C/E/F/H/I third place - Estadio Azteca Mexico City

Wednesday, 1 July 2026

●      Match 80 – Group L winners v Group E/H/I/J/K third place - Atlanta Stadium

●      Match 81 – Group D winners v Group B/E/F/I/J third place - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

●      Match 82 – Group G winners v Group A/E/H/I/J third place - Seattle Stadium

Thursday, 2 July 2026

●      Match 83 – Group K runners-up v Group L runners-up - Toronto Stadium

●      Match 84 – Group H winners v Group J runners-up - Los Angeles Stadium

●      Match 85 – Group B winners v Group E/F/G/I/J third place - BC Place Vancouver

Friday, 3 July 2026

●      Match 86 – Group J winners v Group H runners-up - Miami Stadium

●      Match 87 – Group K winners v Group D/E/I/J/L third place - Kansas City Stadium

●      Match 88 – Group D runners-up v Group G runners-up - Dallas Stadium

FIFA World Cup 26: Round of 16 Fixtures

Saturday, 4 July 2026

●      Match 89 – Winner match 74 v Winner match 77 - Philadelphia Stadium

●      Match 90 – Winner match 73 v Winner match 75 - Houston Stadium

Sunday, 5 July 2026

●      Match 91 – Winner match 76 v Winner match 78 - New York New Jersey Stadium

●      Match 92 – Winner match 79 v Winner match 80 - Estadio Azteca Mexico City

Monday, 6 July 2026

●      Match 93 – Winner match 83 v Winner match 84 - Dallas Stadium

●      Match 94 – Winner match 81 v Winner match 82 - Seattle Stadium

Tuesday, 7 July 2026

●      Match 95 – Winner match 86 v Winner match 88 - Atlanta Stadium

●      Match 96 – Winner match 85 v Winner match 87 - BC Place Vancouver

FIFA World Cup 26: Quarter-Final Fixtures

Thursday, 9 July 2026

●      Match 97 – Winner match 89 v Winner match 90 - Boston Stadium

Friday, 10 July 2026

●      Match 98 – Winner match 93 v Winner match 94 - Los Angeles Stadium

Saturday, 11 July 2026

●      Match 99 – Winner match 91 v Winner match 92 - Miami Stadium

●      Match 100 – Winner match 95 v Winner match 96 - Kansas City Stadium

FIFA World Cup 26: Semi-Final Fixtures

Tuesday, 14 July 2026

●      Match 101 – Winner match 97 v Winner match 98 - Dallas Stadium

Wednesday, 15 July 2026

●      Match 102 – Winner match 99 v Winner match 100 - Atlanta Stadium

FIFA World Cup 26: Bronze Final

Saturday, 18 July 2026

●      Match 103 – Loser match 101 v Loser match 102 - Miami Stadium

FIFA World Cup 26: Final

Sunday, 19 July 2026

●      Match 104 – Winner match 101 v Winner match 102 - New York New Jersey Stadium

Where is the FIFA World Cup 26™ being held?

The FIFA World Cup 26™ will take place across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. In 34 days, 104 matches will be played across North America. This is Canada’s first-time hosting men’s World Cup matches! The host cities for the World Cup 26 grouped by country are:

●      Canada: Toronto and Vancouver

●      Mexico: Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey

●      United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle

Click here for more information regarding the FIFA World Cup 26™ match schedule. For details about host cities and countries, click here.

How To Get Tickets

All official FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets are sold exclusively through FIFA.com/tickets. They have announced tickets won’t be available for purchase at the stadiums during the tournament, as there will be no over-the-counter ticket sales. Here’s how the ticketing phases work:

Visa Presale Draw (Closed):

The first opportunity to snag tickets for the tournament was the Visa Presale draw held from September 10th to 19th, 2025. The Visa Presale Draw was open only to qualifying Visa cards (valid, unexpired Visa debit cards, credit cards, or reloadable prepaid cards enabled with 3D Secure). 

Early Ticket Draw (Closed):

The second phase of ticket sales was the Early Ticket Draw, with the entry period held from October 27th to 31st, 2025. Like the first phase, this involved a random draw.

Random Selection Draw (Coming Soon):

Application for this phase will begin shortly after the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26™. During this phase, fans will be able to submit applications for specific matches once the group-stage matchups have been revealed.

Last-Minute Sales Phase (Coming Soon):

Closer to the tournament, fans will be able to purchase any remaining inventory on a first come, first served basis. This will be your final chance to secure tickets if you haven’t already!

The FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament is shaping up to be the greatest soccer event in history! Whether you’re hoping to secure some once-in-a-lifetime tickets to witness the spectacle live or are going to be following along from your living room, this is your opportunity to see the world’s biggest stars compete for glory on the grandest stage!