The FIFA World Cup 2026 became the biggest tournament in football history, spanning three host nations, the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Held from June 11 to July 19, 2026, it featured 48 teams and a record 104 matches over 39 days. Spain emerged as champions, defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final to lift their second FIFA World Cup title.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule: Matches & Key Dates
The tournament follows a structured path from the group stage through to the grand final in New Jersey.
| Date | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, 11 Jun | Mexico vs South Africa | Mexico won 2-0 |
| Fri, 12 Jun | Czechia vs Korea Republic | Korea Republic won 2-1 |
| Fri, 12 Jun | Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | Canada 1-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina |
| Sat, 13 Jun | USA vs Paraguay | USA won 4-1 |
| Sat, 13 Jun | Qatar vs Switzerland | Qatar 1-1 Switzerland |
| Sat, 13 Jun | Brazil vs Morocco | Brazil 1-1 Morocco |
| Sun, 14 Jun | Haiti vs Scotland | Scotland won 1-0 |
| Sun, 14 Jun | Australia vs Türkiye | Australia won 2-0 |
| Sun, 14 Jun | Germany vs Curaçao | Germany won 7-1 |
| Sun, 14 Jun | Netherlands vs Japan | Netherlands 2-2 Japan |
| Mon, 15 Jun | Côte d’Ivoire vs Ecuador | Côte d’Ivoire won 1-0 |
| Mon, 15 Jun | Sweden vs Tunisia | Sweden won 5-1 |
| Mon, 15 Jun | Spain vs Cabo Verde | Spain 0-0 Cabo Verde |
| Mon, 15 Jun | Belgium vs Egypt | Belgium 1-1 Egypt |
| Mon, 15 Jun | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay |
| Tue, 16 Jun | Iran vs New Zealand | Iran 2-2 New Zealand |
| Tue, 16 Jun | France vs Senegal | France won 3-1 |
| Tue, 16 Jun | Iraq vs Norway | Norway won 4-1 |
| Wed, 17 Jun | Argentina vs Algeria | Argentina won 3-0 |
| Wed, 17 Jun | Austria vs Jordan | Austria won 3-1 |
| Wed, 17 Jun | Portugal vs DR Congo | Portugal 1-1 DR Congo |
| Wed, 17 Jun | England vs Croatia | England won 4-2 |
| Thu, 18 Jun | Ghana vs Panama | Ghana won 1-0 |
| Thu, 18 Jun | Uzbekistan vs Colombia | Colombia won 3-1 |
| Thu, 18 Jun | Czechia vs South Africa | Czechia 1-1 South Africa |
| Thu, 18 Jun | Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | Switzerland won 4-1 |
| Thu, 18 Jun | Canada vs Qatar | Canada won 6-0 |
| Fri, 19 Jun | Mexico vs Korea Republic | Mexico won 1-0 |
| Fri, 19 Jun | USA vs Australia | USA won 2-0 |
| Fri, 19 Jun | Scotland vs Morocco | Morocco won 1-0 |
| Sat, 20 Jun | Brazil vs Haiti | Brazil won 3-0 |
| Sat, 20 Jun | Türkiye vs Paraguay | Paraguay won 1-0 |
| Sat, 20 Jun | Netherlands vs Sweden | Netherlands won 5-1 |
| Sat, 20 Jun | Germany vs Côte d’Ivoire | Germany won 2-1 |
| Sun, 21 Jun | Ecuador vs Curaçao | Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao |
| Sun, 21 Jun | Tunisia vs Japan | Japan won 4-0 |
| Sun, 21 Jun | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | Spain won 4-0 |
| Sun, 21 Jun | Belgium vs Iran | Belgium 0-0 Iran |
| Sun, 21 Jun | Uruguay vs Cabo Verde | Uruguay 2-2 Cabo Verde |
| Mon, 22 Jun | New Zealand vs Egypt | Egypt won 3-1 |
| Mon, 22 Jun | Argentina vs Austria | Argentina won 2-0 |
| Mon, 22 Jun | France vs Iraq | France won 3-0 |
| Tue, 23 Jun | Norway vs Senegal | Norway won 3-2 |
| Tue, 23 Jun | Jordan vs Algeria | Algeria won 2-1 |
| Tue, 23 Jun | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | Portugal won 5-0 |
| Tue, 23 Jun | England vs Ghana | England 0-0 Ghana |
| Wed, 24 Jun | Panama vs Croatia | Croatia won 1-0 |
| Wed, 24 Jun | Colombia vs DR Congo | Colombia won 1-0 |
| Wed, 24 Jun | Switzerland vs Canada | Switzerland won 2-1 |
| Wed, 24 Jun | Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar | Bosnia & Herzegovina won 3-1 |
| Wed, 24 Jun | Morocco vs Haiti | Morocco won 4-2 |
| Wed, 24 Jun | Scotland vs Brazil | Brazil won 3-0 |
| Thu, 25 Jun | South Africa vs Korea Republic | South Africa won 1-0 |
| Thu, 25 Jun | Czechia vs Mexico | Mexico won 3-0 |
| Thu, 25 Jun | Curaçao vs Côte d’Ivoire | Côte d’Ivoire won 2-0 |
| Thu, 25 Jun | Ecuador vs Germany | Ecuador won 2-1 |
| Fri, 26 Jun | Tunisia vs Netherlands | Netherlands won 3-1 |
| Fri, 26 Jun | Japan vs Sweden | Japan 1-1 Sweden |
| Fri, 26 Jun | Türkiye vs USA | Türkiye won 3-2 |
| Fri, 26 Jun | Paraguay vs Australia | Paraguay 0-0 Australia |
| Fri, 26 Jun | Norway vs France | France won 4-1 |
| Fri, 26 Jun | Senegal vs Iraq | Senegal won 5-0 |
| Sat, 27 Jun | Cabo Verde vs Saudi Arabia | Cabo Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia |
| Sat, 27 Jun | Uruguay vs Spain | Spain won 1-0 |
| Sat, 27 Jun | New Zealand vs Belgium | Belgium won 5-1 |
| Sat, 27 Jun | Egypt vs Iran | Egypt 1-1 Iran |
| Sat, 27 Jun | Panama vs England | England won 2-0 |
| Sat, 27 Jun | Croatia vs Ghana | Croatia won 2-1 |
| Sun, 28 Jun | Colombia vs Portugal | Colombia 0-0 Portugal |
| Sun, 28 Jun | DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | DR Congo won 3-1 |
| Sun, 28 Jun | Algeria vs Austria | Algeria 3-3 Austria |
| Sun, 28 Jun | Jordan vs Argentina | Argentina won 3-1 |
Round of 32
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| South Africa vs Canada | Canada won 1-0 |
| Brazil vs Japan | Brazil won 2-1 |
| Germany vs Paraguay | 1-1, Paraguay won 4-3 on penalties |
| Netherlands vs Morocco | 1-1, Morocco won 3-2 on penalties |
| Côte d’Ivoire vs Norway | Norway won 2-1 |
| France vs Sweden | France won 3-0 |
| Mexico vs Ecuador | Mexico won 2-0 |
| England vs DR Congo | England won 2-1 |
| Belgium vs Senegal | Belgium won 3-2 after extra time |
| USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | USA won 2-0 |
| Spain vs Austria | Spain won 3-0 |
| Portugal vs Croatia | Portugal won 2-1 |
| Switzerland vs Algeria | Switzerland won 2-0 |
| Australia vs Egypt | 1-1, Egypt won 4-2 on penalties |
| Argentina vs Cabo Verde | Argentina won 3-2 after extra time |
| Colombia vs Ghana | Colombia won 1-0 |
Round of 16
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Canada vs Morocco | Morocco won 3-0 |
| Paraguay vs France | France won 1-0 |
| Brazil vs Norway | Norway won 2-1 |
| Mexico vs England | England won 3-2 |
| Portugal vs Spain | Spain won 1-0 |
| USA vs Belgium | Belgium won 4-1 |
| Argentina vs Egypt | Argentina won 3-2 |
| Switzerland vs Colombia | 0-0, Switzerland won 4-3 on penalties |
Quarter Finals
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| France vs Morocco | France won 2-0 |
| Spain vs Belgium | Spain won 2-1 |
| England vs Norway | England won 2-1 after extra time |
| Argentina vs Switzerland | Argentina won 3-1 after extra time |
Semi Finals
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| France vs Spain | Spain won 2-0 |
| England vs Argentina | Argentina won 2-1 |
Third Place Playoff
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| France vs England | England won 6-4 |
Final
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Spain vs Argentina | Spain won 1-0 after extra time to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2026 |
All 48 Teams & Groups: FIFA World Cup 2026 Squads
The expanded 48-team format is split into 12 groups of four. Reigning champions Argentina enter as title favourites, while four nations, Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan, make their FIFA World Cup debuts.
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| A | Mexico, South Africa, Korea Republic, Czechia |
| B | Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland |
| C | Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland |
| D | USA, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye |
| E | Germany, Curaçao, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador |
| F | Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia |
| G | Belgium, Egypt, IR Iran, New Zealand |
| H | Spain, Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay |
| I | France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway |
| J | Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan |
| K | Portugal, Congo DR, Uzbekistan, Colombia |
| L | England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama |
The new format introduces a Round of 32, a knockout round following the group stage, meaning one loss from that point eliminates any team.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Cities & Venues
The tournament is spread across 16 world-class stadiums divided into three geographic regions to minimise travel for teams and fans alike.
Western Region
- Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles
Central Region
- Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, Houston, Dallas, Kansas City
Eastern Region
- Atlanta, Miami, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey
AT&T Stadium (Dallas) hosts the most matches of any single venue with nine games. The Final takes place at MetLife Stadium, which seats approximately 82,500 fans, making it a fitting stage for the world’s biggest sporting occasion.
How to Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 Live – Streaming Platforms & TV Channels
Fans around the world have multiple ways to catch every minute of the action.
- USA: All 104 matches air on FOX (70 games) and FS1 (34 games), with live streaming via the FOX One app and FOX Sports app in 4K. Telemundo covers Spanish-language broadcasts; Peacock streams matches online.
- UK: BBC iPlayer carries live coverage throughout the tournament.
- India: Sports18 broadcasts matches on TV, with JioCinema handling the streaming.
- Australia: SBS provides free-to-air coverage.
- Middle East: beIN Sports is the official regional broadcaster.
FIFA is placing a strong emphasis on digital-first coverage in 2026, with multiple camera angles, integrated live statistics, and instant access to goals and highlights across official apps worldwide.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Tickets – How to Buy & Prices
Ticket demand for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has been extraordinary, over 500 million requests were processed during the early lottery phases alone.
Current buying options:
- FIFA Official Ticketing Platform — FIFA.com/tickets is the safest first port of call. The last-minute sales phase allows real-time purchases as inventory becomes available.
- FIFA Official Resale Marketplace — The primary secondary route for tickets obtained through official channels.
- Secondary market platforms — StubHub, SeatGeek, and TicketNetwork offer verified tickets, with prices currently starting around $170–$173 per match.
Price range (dynamic pricing applies):
| Match Type | Starting Price |
|---|---|
| Group Stage | From $60 |
| Knockout Rounds | Variable |
| Final (MetLife Stadium) | Up to $6,730 |
Key ticketing rules to note:
- Maximum 4 tickets per person per match through official channels
- No single fan can purchase more than 40 tickets across the entire tournament
- A FIFA ID account is required to purchase through official channels
Why FIFA World Cup 2026 Is a Historic Tournament
The FIFA World Cup 2026 breaks virtually every record set by previous editions:
- First World Cup hosted across three countries simultaneously
- Largest-ever field with 48 nations competing
- Most matches — 104 total, up from 64 in Qatar 2022
- Longest tournament — 39 days of football
- Three opening ceremonies held across Mexico City, Toronto, and Los Angeles
- Four World Cup debutants: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, Uzbekistan
With Argentina chasing back-to-back titles, traditional powers like France, Brazil, England, and Germany all in contention, and a host of new nations writing their first World Cup stories, the FIFA World Cup 2026 promises to deliver the most captivating summer of football the world has ever seen.
