The World Cup 2026 is scheduled to commence on Thursday, June 11, with Mexico facing South Africa. This tournament marks the first time the event will be hosted across three nations: the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The final match is set for Sunday, July 19, in New Jersey.
For the first time, the World Cup will feature 48 teams, an increase from the previous 32. This expansion means the tournament will have 12 groups of four teams. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to a new knockout round of 32.
Host Nations and Stadiums
The USA previously hosted the tournament in 1994, while Mexico was a host nation in 1970 and 1986. Canada will host the World Cup for the first time. A total of 16 stadiums will be used, with 11 in the USA, two in Canada, and three in Mexico.
The largest venue for the tournament is AT&T Stadium, also known as Dallas Stadium, which has a capacity of 94,000. The smallest venue is Toronto Stadium, with a capacity of 45,000. Aztec Stadium in Mexico City is notable as it will become the first venue to host games in three different men’s World Cups.
All matches will be played on grass pitches, as mandated by FIFA. This requirement has led to eight stadiums installing temporary grass surfaces. Issues with temporary grass pitches were noted during the 2025 Club World Cup in the USA, but FIFA has indicated these will be addressed for the upcoming tournament.
Tournament Format and Teams
The expanded format includes four debutant nations: Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. This is the highest number of newcomers in a single tournament since six countries made their debut in 2006. Notable teams like Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, and England have qualified, while Italy, Serbia, Greece, and Hungary from Europe did not.
Russia remains suspended by FIFA due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Nigeria and Cameroon, African nations with previous World Cup appearances, also did not qualify.
Opening Ceremonies and Match Schedule
Each of the three host nations will hold an opening ceremony. Mexico‘s ceremony will precede their match against South Africa on Thursday, June 11. Canada will host its ceremony on Friday, June 12, before their game with Bosnia-Herzegovina. The USA‘s ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, ahead of their match against Paraguay. All ceremonies will begin 90 minutes before kick-off.
For audiences in the UK, match kick-off times will range from 5pm to 5am BST. England‘s group matches include games against Croatia on June 17 at 9pm and Ghana on June 23 at 9pm. They will also play Panama on June 27 at 10pm. Scotland‘s schedule includes matches against Haiti on June 14 at 2am, Morocco on June 19 at 11pm, and Brazil on June 24 at 11pm.
Favourites and Potential Surprises
According to Sky Bet, France and Spain are joint favourites to win the tournament. England follows, with Brazil next in line. Defending champions Argentina and Portugal also have notable odds. The host nations, particularly the United States, may benefit from home advantage, as host nations have frequently reached at least the quarter-finals in previous tournaments.
Mexico could also be buoyed by their recent victory over the United States in the 2025 Gold Cup final. Dark horses to watch include Erling Haaland‘s Norway, 2022 semi-finalists Morocco, and Japan. Underdogs with less than a 0.1 per cent chance of winning the tournament include Haiti, Cape Verde, Curacao, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
The expanded 48-team format is expected to reduce the likelihood of a ‘Group of Death’. However, Group I, which includes two-time champions France, 2021 AFCON champions Senegal, Norway, and Iraq, is considered a challenging group.
Kylian Mbappe is the favourite to win the Golden Boot, followed by England captain Harry Kane. Other contenders include Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo. While Messi and Ronaldo have not faced each other in previous World Cups, they could potentially meet in the quarter-finals if both their teams win their respective groups and progress through the knockout rounds.
Iran‘s participation has been confirmed, with their training base located at Centro Xoloitzcuintle in Tijuana, Mexico. The players have received visas for the United States, allowing them to enter and leave the country on match days.
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Source: skysports.com
