Main worldwide tournaments provide trendy soccer in its purest type, with the FIFA World Cup the head of the gorgeous sport.
After a barely weird winter World Cup in 2022, soccer’s grandest match will return to its orthodox summer season slot in 2026. As if that wasn’t sufficient in itself to get supporters salivating, it would even be the biggest iteration within the competitors’s lengthy historical past.
Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates ran out victors in an exhilarating remaining final outing, however there will probably be a fair better variety of nations competing for the trophy this time round.
Right here is every thing you have to know in regards to the 2026 World Cup.
The 2026 World Cup will happen throughout three separate international locations: United States, Canada and Mexico. The competitors will kick off on 11 June 2026 and run till 19 July, with the vast majority of the matches going down within the US.
The North American bid beat the Morocco effort throughout voting in 2018, with the USA, Canada and Mexico all assured locations on the match as hosts. They’re the one three groups to have certified up to now.
Canada have by no means hosted a World Cup earlier than, however their co-hosts have. Mexico have held the competitors twice, first in 1970 after which lower than 20 years later in 1986. The latter was the match during which Diego Maradona’s well-known ‘Hand of God’ purpose helped Argentina to the title. The US hosted the World Cup in 1994 however solely reached the final 16 at that match.
A whopping 16 totally different stadiums will host a minimum of one match on the 2026 World Cup. Most of them are in the USA, who boast 11 of the venues. Mexico have three, together with the biggest capability enviornment within the Estadio Azteca, and Canada have simply two.
The Azteca will host the opening match however the 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium in New York will placed on the ultimate. Nonetheless, they’re removed from the one beautiful stadiums internet hosting matches, with solely two venues having a capability of fifty,000 or fewer.
Listing of stadiums used for 2026 World Cup
Stadium | Metropolis | Nation | Capability |
|---|---|---|---|
MetLife Stadium | New York Metropolis | United States | 82,500 |
AT&T Stadium | Dallas | United States | 80,000 |
Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas Metropolis | United States | 76,416 |
NRG Stadium | Houston | United States | 72,220 |
Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta | United States | 71,000 |
SoFi Stadium | Los Angeles | United States | 70,240 |
Lincoln Monetary Area | Philadelphia | United States | 69,796 |
Lumen Area | Seattle | United States | 69,000 |
Levi’s Stadium | San Francisco | United States | 68,500 |
Gillette Stadium | Boston | United States | 65,878 |
Exhausting Rock Stadium | Miami | United States | 64,767 |
Estadio Azteca | Mexico Metropolis | Mexico | 87,523 |
Estadio BBVA | Monterrey | Mexico | 53,500 |
Estadio Akron | Guadalajara | Mexico | 49,850 |
BC Place | Vancouver | Canada | 54,500 |
BMO Area | Toronto | Canada | 30,000 |
For the primary time in World Cup historical past, there will probably be 48 groups competing in 2026. That is 16 extra sides than the quantity that competed on the 2022 World Cup. They are going to be made up of countries from all six confederations, with an eye-watering 104 matches being performed.
The 12 teams will nonetheless be made up of 4 groups with either side taking part in three matches. The highest two will qualify robotically, with the eight finest performing third-placed sides additionally reaching the knockout rounds.
The spherical of 32 comes instantly after the group stage, with subsequent knockout rounds performed till the ultimate. There can even nonetheless be a third-placed play-off.
