The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be a historic tournament, marking the first time three nations will co-host the event: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The tournament will also see an expansion to 48 teams, a significant increase from the 32 teams that participated in previous editions. With more teams and more games, the 2026 World Cup promises to be the biggest and most ambitious edition in the history of the sport. The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

For Australian fans, the schedule for the CommBank Socceroos has been confirmed. Australia has been drawn into Group D alongside the United States, Paraguay, and the winner of the UEFA Play-Off C. The UEFA Play-Off C includes Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia, or Kosovo.

Here is the confirmed match schedule for Australia:

• Match 1: Australia vs. Winner of UEFA Play-Off C (Türkiye/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo)
  • Date: Saturday, June 13
  • Venue: BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
  • Kick-off: 9:00 PM local time / 2:00 PM AEST (Sunday, June 14)
  • Broadcast: SBS and SBS On Demand
• Match 2: USA vs. Australia
  • Date: Friday, June 19
  • Venue: Seattle Stadium, Seattle, USA
  • Kick-off: 12:00 PM local time / 5:00 AM AEST (Saturday, June 20)
  • Broadcast: SBS and SBS On Demand
• Match 3: Paraguay vs. Australia
  • Date: Thursday, June 25
  • Venue: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, USA
  • Kick-off: 7:00 PM local time / 12:00 PM AEST (Friday, June 26)
  • Broadcast: SBS and SBS On Demand

All three of Australia's group stage matches will be located in the Western region of the host nations. Socceroos Head Coach Tony Popovic stated that the team has been preparing for months and can now plan with certainty, knowing the match schedule and kick-off times. He acknowledged the toughness of the group but expressed optimism and confidence.

The expansion to 48 teams means a new format for the World Cup. The teams will be split into twelve groups of four. The top two teams in each group and the eight best third-placed teams will progress to a new round of 32. This new format ensures that every match gains importance and reduces the potential for manipulated results. The total number of matches will increase from 64 to 104, and the tournament will last 39 days. The knockout stage will begin with a round of 32.

The sixteen host cities for the 2026 World Cup are:

• Canada: Toronto, Vancouver
• Mexico: Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey
• United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Final will be held in New York/New Jersey. The opening match will be held in Mexico City.

Football Australia will receive a ticket allocation for each of Australia's matches, which will be distributed to FA+ Members. The application process opens on December 12, 2025, and closes on January 14, 2026.