Where Is the World Cup 2026 and When Does It Start?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest in the tournament's history, and the questions people ask first are also the simplest: where is it, when does it start, and how long does it last? Here are the verified answers, with no guesswork.

The short version: the World Cup runs from Thursday, June 11 to Sunday, July 19, 2026 across three countries — the United States, Mexico and Canada — spread over 16 host cities. It is the first 48-team World Cup ever, with 104 matches played over 39 days. The opener is at the legendary Estadio Azteca in Mexico City; the final is at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Where is the World Cup 2026 being held?

For the first time, three nations share hosting duties. The United States carries the heaviest load with 11 host cities, while Mexico has 3 and Canada has 2. In total, the games are played across 16 stadiums — the most at any World Cup since Japan and South Korea co-hosted in 2002.

The full list of host cities:

- United States (11): Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. - Mexico (3): Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. - Canada (2): Toronto and Vancouver.

The match distribution is lopsided by design: the USA hosts 78 of the 104 matches, including every game from the quarter-finals onward, while Mexico and Canada host 13 each. So if your team goes deep, the road to the trophy runs through the States. You can browse all the venues on our stadiums guide and the full host cities breakdown.

Where is the opening match?

The tournament kicks off at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, 2026, with hosts Mexico facing South Africa. This is historic: the Azteca becomes the first stadium ever to host three World Cup opening matches, after 1970 and 1986. There is a strange echo here too — Mexico also opened the 2010 World Cup against South Africa, on June 11. We break down that game in our opening match preview.

Where is the World Cup 2026 final?

The final is at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — in the New York/New Jersey metro area — on July 19, 2026. The two semi-finals are split between Dallas (July 14) and Atlanta (July 15), and the third-place playoff is in Miami on July 18. Every knockout match from the quarter-finals on is staged in the United States.

When does the World Cup 2026 start?

The World Cup starts on Thursday, June 11, 2026 with that Mexico vs South Africa opener at the Azteca. The group stage then runs through June 27. From there the knockouts begin.

When does the World Cup 2026 end?

The tournament ends on Sunday, July 19, 2026 with the final at MetLife Stadium. So the World Cup spans the back half of June and most of July — peak summer across North America.

How many days does the World Cup 2026 last?

From the June 11 opener to the July 19 final, the tournament lasts 39 days — longer than recent editions because 48 teams and 104 matches need more room than the old 32-team, 64-match format. For comparison, Qatar 2022 ran 29 days with 64 matches; 2026 adds 40 extra games.

How does the 48-team format work?

This is the part that has changed most. The 48 teams are split into 12 groups of four (Groups A through L). The top two from each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, advance — that is 32 teams into a brand-new Round of 32, a knockout round that has never existed at a World Cup before. From there it is the familiar path: Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, final.

The groups were set at the Final Draw on December 5, 2025 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. A few headline groups: hosts Mexico are in Group A, the USA in Group D with Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye, and Canada in Group B. Among the favourites, Spain landed in Group H, Argentina in Group J, France in Group I, Brazil in Group C and England in Group L. See every group on our groups page.

Who is going to win?

Now the fun question. Our statistical model makes Spain and Argentina the clear co-favourites, with France just behind and Brazil a notch below that, then England. The model also flags a handful of genuine dark horses — Morocco, Colombia, Croatia and Japan — any of whom could spoil a quarter-final. Spain arrive as reigning European champions with a frighteningly deep midfield; Argentina carry the swagger of defending champions. If you want our honest read, it is hard to look past those two — but a 48-team field with an extra knockout round is built for chaos.

Want the numbers behind the names? Our 2026 World Cup predictions carry the live championship odds for all 48 teams, and you can play out your own bracket in the match simulator or check kickoff times on the full match schedule and calendar.