FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures: 104-match tournament schedule

Staff Reporter

THE FIFA World Cup 2026 will feature a record-breaking 48 teams and be co-hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States, with the full group stage draw and fixture schedule ahead of the tournament kick-off on 11 June 2026.

The expanded tournament will be the first World Cup staged across three nations, with 16 host cities set to stage 104 matches over more than five weeks of competition.

The opening match will see hosts Mexico face South Africa in Mexico City on 11 June 2026 and the final will be played on 19 July at the New York New Jersey Stadium, bringing the competition to a close in one of football’s largest global spectacles.

A total of 42 teams have already secured qualification through continental tournaments, with the remaining slots to be decided as the qualification process concludes across FIFA’s six confederations. The draw places defending champions Argentina among the favourites as they aim to retain the title won at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.