The 2026 FIFA World Cup will not look like any tournament soccer fans have seen before. For the first time in history, the competition will feature 48 national teams and be hosted across three countries — the United States, Mexico and Canada.
From packed stadiums in New York and Los Angeles to historic matches in Mexico City and Toronto, the tournament is expected to transform North America into the center of the soccer world for an entire month, with several iconic venues set to host World Cup matches.
FIFA’s expanded format will dramatically change how the tournament works. The traditional 32-team structure is gone, replaced by 12 groups of four teams and a new knockout stage that increases the total number of matches to 104.
What is the format for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 national teams divided into 12 groups of four teams each. The top two teams from every group, along with the eight best third-place teams, will advance to a new Round of 32 in the knockout stage.
Detailed view of the 2026 World Cup trophy during the unveiling of the countdown clock 1 year ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Source: Cristopher Rogel Blanquet/Getty Images)
This will be the first men’s World Cup played under FIFA’s expanded 48-team format after decades of using a 32-team structure. Because of the expansion, the tournament will increase from 64 matches to a record 104 games.
The competition will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, marking the first time in history that three countries organize the same World Cup. Teams reaching the final will now need to win eight matches instead of seven to win.
What are the groups for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The official 2026 FIFA World Cup groups have already been finalized, with the 48 qualified teams separated into 12 groups from A through L. The expanded format has also allowed several nations to make their World Cup debuts, including Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia
- Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
- Group D: United States, Paraguay, Türkiye, Australia
- Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
- Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
- Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
- Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
- Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
- Group K: Portugal, Congo DR, Uzbekistan, Colombia
- Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
When will the 2026 FIFA World Cup take place?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin on June 11, 2026, and conclude with the final on July 19, 2026. The opening match is scheduled to take place at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, while the final will be played at New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford.
Matches will be played across 16 host cities throughout North America. The United States will host 78 games, while Mexico and Canada will each organize 13 matches during the tournament. Host cities include Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta, Toronto, Vancouver, Monterrey and Guadalajara, among others.
How to watch or live stream the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Fans in the US will be able to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup live on FOX Sports in English. Spanish-language coverage will be available through Telemundo and Universo.
FOX Sports has confirmed that all 104 matches will air live across FOX and FS1, with dozens of games scheduled for U.S. prime time because of the North American hosting schedule.
Streaming is also expected to play a major role throughout the tournament, especially with matches taking place across multiple cities and time zones:
- Fubo: Includes FOX, FS1.
- DirecTV Stream: Provides FOX, FS1, Telemundo, and Universo.
- Sling Blue: FS1 included, FOX in select markets.
- Hulu + Live TV: Provides the full suite of World Cup channels.
- Peacock: Telemundo and Universo.
- YouTube TV: Includes all games via FOX/FS1.
