2026 FIFA World Cup

2026 FIFA World Cup, international men’s football (soccer) tournament which will take place in North America, with matches in 16 cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It will be the first time that three countries jointly host a World Cup, and only the second time that more than one country has done so. (Japan and South Korea teamed up to host the 2002 World Cup.) The 2026 tournament also marks the first time that 48 teams will compete, an increase from the previous 32.

A majority of the 2026 World Cup matches will take place in the United States, with 11 U.S. cities serving as hosts: Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Boston, Dallas, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the New York City metropolitan area. The host cities in Mexico will be Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey; and the host cities in Canada will be Toronto and Vancouver. The World Cup previously took place in North America three times: 1970 and 1986 in Mexico, and in 1994 in the United States. The 2026 tournament will be the first time the men’s World Cup has been played in Canada.

Choosing tournament locations

FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, awarded North America the 2026 World Cup in 2018 over Morocco by a vote of 134–65. The North American bid, often called the United bid, highlighted that the three countries had 23 already constructed stadiums that could be used during the tournament. The bid also promised that the hosts had the infrastructure—including hotels, training sites, and transportation facilities—needed to handle players and fans. During the evaluation of the risk each bid presented, FIFA gave Morocco 3 high-, 10 medium-, and 7 low-risk grades. The organization gave the United bid 17 low- and 3 medium-risk grades. The winning bid also claimed that a World Cup in North America could generate $11 billion in profits for FIFA—more than double what Morocco projected—which could translate to each national association receiving tens of millions of dollars in funds for development. Some felt that the prospect of greater profits ultimately made FIFA’s decision. Moroccan official Moncef Belkhayat criticized North America for basing its bid “on dollars, on profit, while Morocco [was] offering an offer that is based on passion for football.” The decision marked the fifth time that the North African nation had failed to land the World Cup.

The 16 host cities were selected from the 23 potential locations in the United bid’s initial proposal. Cities were selected with logistics and travel in mind. Some cities, such as Chicago, voluntarily withdrew from consideration due to the costs associated with preparing for and hosting such an event. FIFA created three regions (eastern, central, and western) in order to organize where different teams would play and prevent fans and players from having to travel long distances.

Format and schedule

The 2026 World Cup will see 48 teams competing: 8 teams from Asia, 9 from Africa, 6 from North America (Canada, Mexico, and the United States will take 3 of the spots as host countries), 16 from Europe, 6 from South America, 1 from Oceania, and 2 additional teams that will be decided by intercontinental playoffs. In the first round, teams will be divided into 12 groups of four teams each. These groups will play a round-robin of three games. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout round. The top eight third-place teams (based on points scored, goal differential, and other criteria if necessary) will likewise advance for a total of 32 teams. Because of the larger field, this World Cup will last 39 days, an increase from the roughly 32 days in previous tournaments. The number of matches will increase from 64 to 104.

In early 2024 FIFA announced the full 2026 World Cup schedule. The opening match will be played on June 11 in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. The final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will be rebranded as New York New Jersey Stadium for the event in order to comply with FIFA’s corporate name policy.