World Cup 2026: FIFA confirms dates, 48-team format and Canada–Mexico–US co-hosting plan

FIFA has confirmed key planning details for the 2026 men’s World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The tournament will run from June 11 to July 19 and will expand to 48 teams for the first time in the men’s competition. FIFA’s published schedule outlines 104 matches across 16 venues in the three host countries.

FIFA said the opening match will be played on June 11 at the Mexico City Stadium. The final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which FIFA will refer to as “New York New Jersey Stadium” during the tournament.

Expanded format The 2026 edition will be the first men’s World Cup played with 48 teams.

FIFA’s competition format begins with a group stage before moving into four knockout rounds starting with a round of 32, followed by the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and the final.

Stadium naming policy FIFA will use host-city venue names throughout the competition, a policy designed to reduce ambush marketing by non-affiliated brands.

Under this approach, MetLife Stadium will be branded as “New York New Jersey Stadium”, while SoFi Stadium will be listed as “Los Angeles Stadium” for World Cup matches.

Stage-by-stage schedule FIFA’s published schedule runs from the group stage (June 11–27) through the knockout rounds, culminating in the final on July 19.

The knockout phase is scheduled as follows: - Round of 32: June 28 to July 3 - Round of 16: July 4 to July 7 - Quarterfinals: July 9 to July 11 - Semifinals: July 14 to July 15 - Third-place match: July 18 - Final: July 19

Potential first-time World Cup finalists The source report lists Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan among the teams expected to make their men’s World Cup finals debut in 2026.