The FIFA World Cup 26™ is firmly in view for fans of the beautiful game around the globe with a number of firsts as three nations – Canada, Mexico and the USA – will co-host, and a record 48 teams will take part.
After the thrilling drama of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Argentina are aiming to become just the third defending champion in history to retain the trophy.
Qualification tournaments among the six global confederations are already under way, with several teams having booked their tickets to the eagerly-anticipated global showpiece.
FIFA has prepared a summary of the key information around the next instalment of the tournament.
FIFA World Cup 26 dates and schedule
The next World Cup will return to being played in the traditional period, between the months of June and July. The World Cup final date has been set as Sunday, 19 July, with the opening match due to take place on Thursday, 11 June.
The full match schedule was announced on Sunday, 4 February 2024, with New York New Jersey picked to host the final, and Mexico City’s fabled Azteca chosen to stage the tournament’s opening match.
FIFA World Cup 26 draw
The Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26™ will take place in Washington DC on 5 December at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where the world will discover the group-stage matches to be contested. The teams representing the host countries will be assigned to positions A1 (Mexico), B1 (Canada) and D1 (USA), as per the match schedule released in 2024. The draw will commence at 12:00 local time (18:00CET).
FIFA World Cup 26 qualified teams
Co-hosts: Canada, Mexico, USA
AFC: IR Iran, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Japan, Australia
CAF: Morocco, Tunisia
CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay
OFC: New Zealand
FIFA World Cup 26 host countries and cities
For the first time in history, the organisation of the biggest football tournament on the planet will be divided among three countries – Canada, Mexico and the USA – with 16 cities in total hosting matches. Find out more on the rich history and tradition of each location by clicking the links below.
Canada
Mexico
The United States
FIFA World Cup 26 Stadiums
A total of 16 stadiums have been chosen to host the games, the most since Korea/Japan 2002, with some truly spectacular venues set to showcase the best in the beautiful game. Follow the links below for more information on each venue, including the matches selected for each ground.
Canada
Mexico
The United States
FIFA World Cup 26 Tickets
To receive information on how to apply for FIFA World Cup 26™ tickets, you can register your interest here. We will keep you up to date with the latest news and information regarding FIFA World Cup 26™ tickets straight to your mailbox.
FIFA World Cup 26 – how teams qualify
The 2026 World Cup will see the participation of 48 teams, 16 more than the last seven editions of the tournament since 1998. The division of places by continental confederations has already been defined:
AFC (Asia): Eight direct spots + one FIFA Play-Off Tournament place
CAF (Africa): Nine direct spots + one FIFA Play-Off Tournament place
Concacaf (North and Central America, plus the Caribbean): Six direct spots + two FIFA Play-Off Tournament places
CONMEBOL (South America): Six direct spots + one FIFA Play-Off Tournament place
OFC (Oceania): One direct spot + one FIFA Play-Off Tournament place
UEFA (Europe): 16 direct spots
The three host countries will automatically qualify for the tournament, thus occupying three of the Concacaf slots.
FIFA World Cup 26 qualifiers
Each continental confederation has the autonomy to define the competition model and the period of their qualifying tournaments. Hosts Canada, Mexico and USA are already confirmed as qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 26.
Find out more about the FIFA World Cup 26 qualifiers
FIFA World Cup 26 format
The FIFA Council unanimously made the decision to approve the proposed amendment to the World Cup 2026 group stage format from 16 groups of three, to 12 groups of four.
The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-place teams from the groups will now progress to the round of 32. Hopefuls will now have to play eight games from group stage through to the final, rather than seven.
FIFA World Cup 26 Official Host City Posters
The 2026 tournament will feature a set of Official FIFA World Cup 26™ Host City Posters, showcasing the unique cultural and artistic spirit of the 16 Host Cities while celebrating the unity, diversity, and passion of the world’s most beloved sport. All 16 posters are available to buy now.
FIFA World Cup 26 Official Brand
The FIFA World Cup™ Trophy, the most widely recognised and prized sporting asset globally, was unveiled at the forefront of the FIFA World Cup 26™ Official Brand on Wednesday, 17 May 2023.
