Football World Cup 2026
United States, Canada, Mexico Tournament Hub
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About this tournament
The Football World Cup 2026 runs from to across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It features 48 teams playing 104 matches at 16 venues. In the US, 70 matches air free on FOX and 92 matches free in Spanish on Telemundo — see where to watch for the full broadcaster guide by country.
When does the World Cup 2026 start?
The tournament opens on with Mexico vs South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City — an opening ceremony precedes the match. This is the first match of the Football World Cup 2026, and the same fixture opened the 2010 tournament in South Africa. The group stage runs through late June, with the knockout phase beginning in early July and the final on .
Where is the World Cup 2026 played?
The Football World Cup 2026 is spread across 16 stadiums in three host countries. Eleven venues are in the United States: MetLife Stadium (New York/New Jersey), SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles), AT&T Stadium (Dallas), NRG Stadium (Houston), Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Gillette Stadium (Boston), GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City), Levi’s Stadium (San Francisco), and Lumen Field (Seattle). Two are in Canada: BMO Field (Toronto) and BC Place (Vancouver). Three are in Mexico: Estadio Azteca (Mexico City), Estadio Akron (Guadalajara), and Estadio BBVA (Monterrey). The final takes place at MetLife Stadium on .
How can I watch the World Cup 2026 in the US?
In the United States, FOX Sports carries English-language rights to all 104 matches, with 70 airing free on the FOX broadcast network and 34 on FS1. Tubi streams two matches at no cost. Telemundo airs 92 matches free in Spanish, and Peacock streams all 104 in Spanish with a paid subscription. For a full breakdown — including options by country outside the US — see the World Cup 2026 where-to-watch guide.
Schedule, groups, and bracket
The full World Cup 2026 schedule lists all 104 matches with kickoff times, venues, and broadcasters. The group stage runs from through late June across all 12 groups, with four teams per group. The knockout stage starts with a new Round of 32 and concludes with the final at MetLife Stadium. Track every result as the tournament progresses with the World Cup 2026 knockout bracket.
Teams in the World Cup 2026
The Football World Cup 2026 features all 48 qualified teams from six confederations. Europe’s UEFA sends 16 teams, Africa’s CAF sends 10, Asia’s AFC sends 9, South America’s CONMEBOL sends 6, CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean) sends 6, and OFC (Oceania) sends 1. The 48 teams are drawn into 12 groups of four, with the top two from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the Round of 32. The groups hub has the full group draw with schedules for every side.
Common questions
- When does the World Cup 2026 start?
- The Football World Cup 2026 kicks off on , with Mexico vs South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The opening ceremony precedes the match. The tournament runs through , when the final is played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. See the full schedule for all 104 match dates and kickoff times.
- Where is the World Cup 2026 being played?
- The Football World Cup 2026 is hosted across three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Matches are played at 16 stadiums — 11 in the US, 2 in Canada (Toronto, Vancouver), and 3 in Mexico (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey). The final takes place at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, the tournament's largest venue with a capacity of 82,500.
- How many teams are in the World Cup 2026?
- The Football World Cup 2026 features 48 teams — an expansion from 32 at the previous tournament. The 48 teams are split across 12 groups of four. They come from all six confederations: 16 from UEFA (Europe), 10 from CAF (Africa), 9 from AFC (Asia), 6 from CONMEBOL (South America), 6 from CONCACAF (North/Central America and Caribbean), and 1 from OFC (Oceania).
- What is the format of the World Cup 2026?
- The World Cup 2026 introduces a new 48-team format. Twelve groups of four teams each play a round-robin group stage. The top two teams from each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, advance to a new Round of 32 — the first knockout round in tournament history. From there, the bracket continues: Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place play-off, and the final on .
- How can I watch the World Cup 2026 in the US?
- In the United States, FOX Sports holds the English-language broadcast rights. Seventy matches air free over the air on the FOX network (no cable needed — just an antenna or a live-TV service). A further 34 matches air on FS1. Tubi streams the opening match and the USA vs Paraguay match for free online. Telemundo airs 92 matches free in Spanish over the air. See the full where-to-watch guide for details.
- Is the World Cup 2026 free to watch in the US?
- Yes — most matches are free in the US. FOX broadcasts 70 matches free over the air in English; Telemundo broadcasts 92 matches free over the air in Spanish. Tubi streams two matches (the opening match on and USA vs Paraguay on ) at no cost with no subscription. FS1 requires a cable or live-TV subscription for its 34 matches. All 104 matches in Spanish stream on Peacock with a paid subscription.