The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams competing in 104 matches across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, marking the first expansion of the tournament since 1998.
The event will run from June 11 to July 19, with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City at 4:00 p.m. Local time, and the final scheduled for MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, Novel Jersey, on July 19 at 4:00 p.m. Argentina time.
Defending champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi in what is widely expected to be his final World Cup appearance, will seek to retain their title in Group J alongside Algeria, Austria, and Jordan.
The tournament format introduces a round of 32 for the first time, with the top two teams from each of the 12 groups advancing, joined by the eight best third-place finishers.
All three host nations — the United States, Mexico, and Canada — have qualified automatically, while Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan will make their World Cup debuts.
Group A features Mexico (ranked 15th), South Korea (25th), Czech Republic (41st), and South Africa (60th), while Group B includes Switzerland (19th), Canada (30th), Qatar (55th), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (65th), which qualified by defeating Italy in the inter-confederation playoff.
Group C consists of Brazil (6th), Morocco (8th), Scotland (43rd), and Haiti (83rd), with additional details revealing Group D as United States (16th), Turkey (22nd), Australia (27th), and Paraguay (40th), and Group E as Germany (10th), Ecuador (23rd), Ivory Coast (34th), and Curaçao (82nd).
For more on this story, see Gianni Infantino Confirms Iran Will Participate in 2026 World Cup.
Venues for the group stage span 16 cities, including Atlanta, Foxborough, Arlington, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Inglewood, Mexico City, Miami Gardens, Monterrey, East Rutherford, Philadelphia, Santa Clara, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver.
The knockout rounds will utilize a reduced set of venues: the round of 32 will be held in Foxborough, East Rutherford, Inglewood, Toronto, Santa Clara, Seattle, Houston, Arlington, Mexico City, Atlanta, Miami Gardens, Vancouver, and Kansas City.
Quarterfinals will take place at Foxborough, Inglewood, Miami Gardens, and Kansas City, with semifinals hosted in Atlanta and Arlington, the third-place match in Miami Gardens, and the final at MetLife Stadium.
All match times referenced in the sources are presented in Argentina time, requiring adjustment for local broadcast schedules across the three host countries.
What time will the World Cup final be played in local New Jersey time?
The final is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Argentina time on July 19, which corresponds to 3:00 p.m. Local time in East Rutherford, New Jersey, given the one-hour time difference between Argentina and the Eastern Time Zone during daylight saving period.
How does the new round of 32 format affect teams that finish third in their groups?
In addition to the two automatic qualifiers from each group, the eight best third-place teams across all 12 groups will advance to the round of 32, creating a pathway for teams that do not win or finish second in their group to remain in contention.