The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be held in North America: in the USA, Canada and Mexico. For the first time in the history of the tournament, a record number of 48 countries will take part in the final part of the competition. The three host countries will also participate for the first time in the history of the World Cup. There will be a total of 16 host cities and stadiums: 2 in Canada, 3 in Mexico and 11 in the United States of America.
The 23rd FIFA World Cup will begin on Sunday, May 31, 2026 and end with the final on Sunday, July 19, 2026. The qualifying matches (depending on the confederation) will begin in 2023-24 and end in 2025-2026. In the final stage, 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups, and the playoffs will begin with the 1/16 finals stage. Thus, the teams will play a total of 104 matches.
Initially, 22 cities applied to host the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches. Eventually, on June 16, 2022, all the host cities were identified. These are 16 cities: 11 of them are located in the USA, 3 in Mexico and 2 in Canada.
104 matches of the World Cup will be held at 16 stadiums. The average capacity of all arenas is about 68,000 spectators. The opening match, the final and the venue of the other games have not yet been finalized (information will appear later).
48 national teams will participate in the FIFA World Cup-2026. They will be divided into twelve groups of four teams. The playoff stage begins with the 1/16 finals stage. This means that a total of 104 matches will be played at the World Cup in North America. The tournament will last 40 game days. The opening match is scheduled for Sunday, May 31, 2026. The final match will take place on Sunday, July 19, 2026.
In the group stage, the first and second place teams advance to the playoffs. Another 8 participants will be determined among the teams that took 3rd places in their groups.
From the 1/16 finals, knock-out games begin according to the standard scheme. The winner, who is determined in regular or extra time (if necessary, in a penalty shootout), proceeds to the next stage.
How do I buy tickets for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico? Complete information about the purchase of tickets for the upcoming tournament in North America.
In total, 210-211 FIFA members will take part in the qualifying tournament for the final part of the World Cup 2026. The USA, Canada and Mexico are guaranteed to compete in the final stage (they receive direct tickets as hosts of the tournament).
Qualification, depending on the zone, begins in 2023-2025. The minimum and maximum number of vouchers for each confederation has already been determined:
| FIFA Zone | Possible Spots for the FIFA World Cup |
|---|---|
| AFC | Minimum 8, maximum 9 teams (possible +1 via intercontinental play-off) |
| CONCACAF | Minimum 6, maximum 8 teams (possible +2 via intercontinental play-off) |
| Host countries USA, Canada, and Mexico have already qualified automatically | |
| CONMEBOL | Minimum 6, maximum 7 teams (possible +1 via intercontinental play-off) |
| OFC | Minimum 1, maximum 2 teams (possible +1 via intercontinental play-off) |
| CAF | Minimum 9, maximum 10 teams (possible +1 via intercontinental play-off) |
| UEFA | 16 teams |
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