The highly anticipated schedule for the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to be hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, has been officially unveiled, marking the road to the biggest global football spectacle in history. The tournament, expanded to include 48 teams for the first time, will feature a record 104 matches across 16 host cities. Football fans around the world can now mark their calendars from June 11 to July 19, 2026, for a thrilling month of international competition.
The opening match is scheduled for June 11 at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where co-hosts Mexico will face South Africa. This historic stadium, which previously hosted the World Cup openers in 1970 and 1986, will once again set the stage for the world's most prestigious football tournament. The United States will begin their campaign on the following day in Los Angeles against Paraguay, while Canada will kick off their journey in Toronto against the winner of UEFA Playoff A.
Defending champions Argentina will begin their title defense in Group J, with their first match against Algeria. The Albiceleste will then face Austria and Jordan in the subsequent group stage matches. Argentina's Group J fixtures are set for Tuesday, June 16 against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, followed by Monday, June 22 against Austria and Saturday, June 27 against Jordan, both at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Other notable early fixtures include England vs. Croatia, Brazil vs. Morocco, Germany vs. Curacao and Netherlands vs. Japan. The complete match schedule spans across four time zones and includes matches in major cities such as Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle in the U.S., as well as Vancouver, Toronto and Guadalajara.
The format for the 2026 World Cup will see the 48 teams divided into twelve groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the Round of 32. From there, the tournament will proceed in a knockout format. The Round of 16 is scheduled from July 4-7, the Quarter-Finals from July 9-11 and the Semi-Finals will be held on July 14 and 15. The third-place play-off is scheduled for July 18, with the final taking place on July 19.
The World Cup final is scheduled to take place on July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
For fans in South Florida eager to see Lionel Messi and Argentina, they may have to wait until the knockout stage. Argentina will not play any of its opening-round matches at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. However, if Argentina wins Group J, they would play the Group H runner-up at Hard Rock Stadium on July 3. If Argentina advances as the Group J runner-up, they would play on July 2 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
With the match schedule now set, anticipation is building for what promises to be a historic and unforgettable FIFA World Cup in 2026.
