FIFA World Cup 2026: Format Explained and Detailed Schedule

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be the largest tournament in football history, as it will feature 48 national teams for the first time, up from the traditional 32.

That’s not the only significant change. The competition will also be co-hosted by three countries — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — marking a new era for the global game. The ongoing FIFA Club World Cup can be described as a warm-up for one of the hosts, the U.S.A., for a bigger football festival next year.

Here’s a full breakdown of how the World Cup 2026 format works, what’s different this time, and the official schedules released by FIFA.

Qualified nations for the World Cup

Japan were the very first country to qualify on March 20, and joined by defending champions Argentina among other teams.

QUALIFIED (10/45): Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Argentina, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador

Check out the qualifiers here:

Former Tottenham Hotspur Pochettino will lead the USMNT as one of the hosts of the 2026 World Cup

What’s new with the FIFA World Cup 2026? Let’s find out.

World Cup 2026: A brand new tournament

The 2026 edition is a landmark for FIFA and world football.

Instead of one or two hosts, three nations will share the stage:

The USA will host matches in 11 cities.
Canada will have two host cities.
Mexico will bring the passion with three stadiums of its own.

This is also the first time 48 teams will compete in a single World Cup, making it the most inclusive tournament ever. More teams mean more fans, more stories, and more excitement.

How the Group Stage Works

With more teams, the group stage has been redesigned.

Instead of 8 groups of 4 like in 2022, the 2026 World Cup will feature 12 groups of 4 teams each. Every team still plays 3 matches, just like in past editions.

From there, the top two teams from each group move on to the next round. However, with 12 groups, that only yields 24 teams — so to complete the Round of 32, FIFA will also include the eight best third-placed teams.

This ensures that every match matters, especially for teams fighting to secure a spot in the knockout rounds.

Knockout Stage: Round of 32

Once the top 32 teams are confirmed, the tournament shifts into classic World Cup mode: a single-elimination format.

The bracket looks like this:

Round of 32
Round of 16
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final

This means a team will need to survive 7 matches to win it all, one more than in the 32-team format.

104 Matches in Total

In 2022, the World Cup featured 64 matches. With the new format, World Cup 2026 will feature 104 games.

That’s 40 more games — a feast for football fans across the globe. The group stage will have 72 games, and the knockout rounds will add 32 more.

It’s the longest and most packed tournament FIFA has ever staged.

Fans can expect a unique experience that spans three cultures, multiple time zones, and diverse styles of football fandom.

The USA will host most of the matches, with stadiums located in cities such as New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, and others.

Mexico, one of the most passionate football nations, will use iconic stadiums in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.

Hard Rock Stadium is one of the biggest venues of the coming World Cup 2026

Canada joins the World Cup as a host for the first time, with games in Toronto and Vancouver.

This will be the first World Cup played across three countries, and the first time since 1994 that the tournament returns to North American soil.

Full match schedule for FIFA World Cup 26 in Canada, Mexico and the USA

For the ticket information, fans can find it here: FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets ahead of release.

Registration of interest is also available for information on hospitality packages at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The 2026 World Cup Final will be at the New York stadium

FIFA World Cup 26 Group Stage fixtures

Thursday, 11 June 2026

Match 1 – Group A (Mexico #1) – Estadio Azteca Mexico City
Match 2 – Group A – Estadio Guadalajara

Friday, 12 June 2026

Match 3 – Group B (Canada #1) – Toronto Stadium
Match 4 – Group D (USA #1) – Los Angeles Stadium

Saturday, 13 June 2026

Match 5 – Group C – Boston Stadium
Match 6 – Group D – BC Place Vancouver
Match 7 – Group C – New York New Jersey Stadium
Match 8 – Group B – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

Sunday, 14 June 2026

Match 9 – Group E – Philadelphia Stadium
Match 10 – Group E – Houston Stadium
Match 11 – Group F – Dallas Stadium
Match 12 – Group F – Estadio Monterrey

Monday, 15 June 2026

Match 13 – Group H – Miami Stadium
Match 14 – Group H – Atlanta Stadium
Match 15 – Group G – Los Angeles Stadium
Match 16 – Group G – Seattle Stadium

Tuesday, 16 June 2026

Match 17 – Group I – New York New Jersey Stadium
Match 18 – Group I – Boston Stadium
Match 19 – Group J – Kansas City Stadium
Match 20 – Group J – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

Wednesday, 17 June 2026

Match 21 – Group L – Toronto Stadium
Match 22 – Group L – Dallas Stadium
Match 23 – Group K – Houston Stadium
Match 24 – Group K – Estadio Azteca Mexico City

Thursday, 18 June 2026

Match 25 – Group A – Atlanta Stadium
Match 26 – Group B – Los Angeles Stadium
Match 27 – Group B – (Canada #2) – BC Place Vancouver
Match 28 – Group A – (Mexico #2) – Estadio Guadalajara

Friday, 19 June 2026

Match 29 – Group C – Philadelphia Stadium
Match 30 – Group C – Boston Stadium
Match 31 – Group D – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Match 32 – Group D (USA #2) – Seattle Stadium

Saturday, 20 June 2026

Match 33 – Group E – Toronto Stadium
Match 34 – Group E – Kansas City Stadium
Match 35 – Group F – Houston Stadium
Match 36 – Group F – Estadio Monterrey

Sunday, 21 June 2026

Match 37 – Group H – Miami Stadium
Match 38 – Group H – Atlanta Stadium
Match 39 – Group G – Los Angeles Stadium
Match 40 – Group G – BC Place Vancouver

Monday, 22 June 2026

Match 41 – Group I – New York New Jersey Stadium
Match 42 – Group I – Philadelphia Stadium
Match 43 – Group J – Dallas Stadium
Match 44 – Group J – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

Tuesday, 23 June 2026

Match 45 – Group L – Boston Stadium
Match 46 – Group L – Toronto Stadium
Match 47 – Group K – Houston Stadium
Match 48 – Group K – Estadio Guadalajara

Wednesday, 24 June 2026

Match 49 – Group C – Miami Stadium
Match 50 – Group C – Atlanta Stadium
Match 51 – Group B (Canada #3) – BC Place Vancouver
Match 52 – Group B – Seattle Stadium
Match 53 – Group A – (Mexico #3) – Estadio Azteca Mexico City
Match 54 – Group A – Estadio Monterrey

Thursday, 25 June 2026

Match 55 – Group E – Philadelphia Stadium
Match 56 – Group E – New York New Jersey Stadium
Match 57 – Group F – Dallas Stadium
Match 58 – Group F – Kansas City Stadium
Match 59 – Group D – (USA #3) – Los Angeles Stadium
Match 60 – Group D – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

Friday, 26 June 2026

Match 61 – Group I – Boston Stadium
Match 62 – Group I – Toronto Stadium
Match 63 – Group G – Seattle Stadium
Match 64 – Group G – BC Place Vancouver
Match 65 – Group H – Houston Stadium
Match 66 – Group H – Estadio Guadalajara

Saturday, 27 June 2026

Match 67 – Group L – New York New Jersey Stadium
Match 68 – Group L – Philadelphia Stadium
Match 69 – Group J – Kansas City Stadium
Match 70 – Group J – Dallas Stadium
Match 71 – Group K – Miami Stadium
Match 72 – Group K – Atlanta Stadium

FIFA World Cup 26 – Round of 32 fixtures

Sunday, 28 June 2026

Match 73 – Group A runners-up v Group B runners-up – Los Angeles Stadium

Monday, 29 June 2026

Match 74 – Group E winners v Group A/B/C/D/F third place – Boston Stadium
Match 75 – Group F winners v Group C runners-up – Estadio Monterrey
Match 76 – Group C winners v Group F runners-up – Houston Stadium

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

Match 77 – Group I winners v Group C/D/F/G/H third place – New York New Jersey Stadium
Match 78 – Group E runners up v Group I runners-up – Dallas Stadium
Match 79 – Group A winners v Group C/E/F/H/I third place – Estadio Azteca Mexico City

Wednesday, 1 July 2026

Match 80 – Group L winners v Group E/H/I/J/K third place – Atlanta Stadium
Match 81 – Group D winners v Group B/E/F/I/J third place – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Match 82 – Group G winners v Group A/E/H/I/J third place – Seattle Stadium

Thursday, 2 July 2026

Match 83 – Group K runners-up v Group L runners-up – Toronto Stadium
Match 84 – Group H winners v Group J runners-up – Los Angeles Stadium
Match 85 – Group B winners v Group E/F/G/I/J third place – BC Place Vancouver

Friday, 3 July 2026

Match 86 – Group J winners v Group H runners-up – Miami Stadium
Match 87 – Group K winners v Group D/E/I/J/L third place – Kansas City Stadium
Match 88 – Group D runners-up v Group G runners-up – Dallas Stadium

FIFA World Cup 26 Round of 16 fixtures

Saturday, 4 July 2026

Match 89 – Winner match 74 v Winner match 77 – Philadelphia Stadium
Match 90 – Winner match 73 v Winner match 75 – Houston Stadium

Sunday, 5 July 2026

Match 91 – Winner match 76 v Winner match 78 – New York New Jersey Stadium
Match 92 – Winner match 79 v Winner match 80 – Estadio Azteca Mexico City

Monday, 6 July 2026

Match 93 – Winner match 83 v Winner match 84 – Dallas Stadium
Match 94 – Winner match 81 v Winner match 82 – Seattle Stadium

Tuesday, 7 July 2026

Match 95 – Winner match 86 v Winner match 88 – Atlanta Stadium
Match 96 – Winner match 85 v Winner match 87 – BC Place Vancouver

FIFA World Cup 26 quarter-final fixtures

Thursday, 9 July 2026

Match 97 – Winner match 89 v Winner match 90 – Boston Stadium

Friday, 10 July 2026

Match 98 – Winner match 93 v Winner match 94 – Los Angeles Stadium

Saturday, 11 July 2026

Match 99 – Winner match 91 v Winner match 92 – Miami Stadium
Match 100 – Winner match 95 v Winner match 96 – Kansas City Stadium

FIFA World Cup 26 semi-final fixtures

Tuesday, 14 July 2026

Match 101 – Winner match 97 v Winner match 98 – Dallas Stadium

Wednesday, 15 July 2026

Match 102 – Winner match 99 v Winner match 100 – Atlanta Stadium

FIFA World Cup 26 bronze final

Saturday, 18 July 2026

Match 103 – Loser match 101 v Loser match 102 – Miami Stadium

FIFA World Cup 26 Final

Sunday, 19 July 2026

Match 104 – Winner match 101 v Winner match 102 – New York New Jersey Stadium

The Last 10 Champions of the World Cup

Year	Champion	Host Country
2022	Argentina	Qatar
2018	France	Russia
2014	Germany	Brazil
2010	Spain	South Africa
2006	Italy	Germany
2002	Brazil	Korea/Japan
1998	France	France
1994	Brazil	USA
1990	West Germany	Italy
1986	Argentina	Mexico

What Fans Can Expect

For fans, World Cup 2026 promises:

More teams and more underdogs
A bigger chance for countries from Asia, Africa, and the Americas
More matches to enjoy — in stadiums or on screens

The new format also presents new opportunities for countries that have never qualified before. If you’re from a developing football nation, this might be the tournament where your country finally breaks through.

FIFA World Cup 2026 is going to be historic, not just because of the number of teams or the expanded schedule, but because it represents a turning point in world football.

Visit our FIFA World Cup 2026 website for more football news and other updates.