World Cup 2026
Canada · Mexico · United States
Opening match: 11 June 2026
A new era: the first 48-team World Cup
World Cup 2026 is the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup and the first to be staged across three nations: Canada, Mexico and the United States. It is also the first 48-team World Cup, up from 32, expanding the tournament to a record 104 matches played between 11 June and 19 July 2026.
The 48 teams are drawn into 12 groups of four, and every team plays three group-stage matches. The top two from each group advance automatically, joined by the eight best third-placed teams, giving 32 teams in the knockout stage.
From there the tournament is a straight knockout: the new Round of 32 feeds into the Round of 16, the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, before a third-place play-off and the final on 19 July 2026. A team that goes all the way plays eight matches in total, one more than at previous World Cups, because of the extra round.
Matches are played in 16 host cities across the three countries. The full match schedule lists every group-stage fixture and its kickoff time.
Groups
The 48 teams drawn into 12 groups of four. The top two of each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, reach the round of 32.
Host nations
