FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule: Dates, Times, Matchup and Locations

Before the biggest FIFA tournament ever kicks off, some predictions are in order. Who are the top contenders to win it all? Here's the breakdown on all of them, including what you need to know about each team. Here's everything you need to know to get ready for the tournament. This World Cup will be the first one that is played in three countries. This collaboration will enhance opportunities for Media Partners to extend their reach, for creators to share unique perspectives on the competition and bring the next generation of fans closer to the FIFA World Cup action with YouTube.

Sunday, July 19

He feels the same as many fans, for whom this World Cup is simply too big and too expensive. ” German terrace chants cannot quite keep up with the creativity of Musiala’s dribbling and during the home Euros two years agoNagelsmann complained that Germany’s fans were too quiet. “It was never pleasant playing against me, because I have a certain physicality,” he told Zeit two years ago. He scored the winning goal in the March friendly against Ghana but afterwards the coach offered no praise, rather a critical backhand. More and more figures within German football are criticising Julian Nagelsmann.

World Cup Schedule: All Games, Dates, Matchups and How To Watch

Meanwhile, the USMNT are +6000 longshots to win on home soil, with co-host Mexico also at +6000 and Canada at +17500. Their performances will set the stage for the United States’ opening match against Paraguay. The celebration, set for 90 minutes before kickoff, will showcase Mexican culture, music and tradition before the host nation, Mexico, takes on South Africa in the first Group A matchup.

• If, after having applied criteria a to c, teams still had an equal ranking, criteria a to c are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams who are still level to determine their final rankings.
• All times MST.
• The knockout stage will be played in a single-elimination format, starting with the round of 32 on June 28 and culminating with the final on July 19.
• The 2026 World Cup is set to be the largest in history, featuring 48 teams and more than 100 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
• Gutierrez moved from Chicago Fire to Guadalajara in January and helped them reach the title play-off round semi-final of Liga MX.
• The World Cup kick-off times may be off for us in the UAE, but if you’re a true football fan and want to join others to celebrate every goal, here are some places in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to head to.

The World Cup groups were confirmed following the final draw in December and the conclusion of qualifying in March. There will be a remarkable 40 more matches than the Qatar World Cup in 2022, with fixtures taking place at 16 venues across the three nations. The participating nations will be split into 12 groups of four teams, with the top two sides from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the new round of 32.

• Here are Paul Carr’s power rankings of all 48 teams in the 2026 World Cup, separated into five distinct tiers.
• The 2026 World Cup will consist of 48 nations battling it out across 104 matches to win the biggest prize in international football.
• Those concerned with delivery will also be pleased to know that the chart comes in a folded protective envelope to help ensure none of the corners gets ruined, keeping it in mint condition to display wherever you want.
• They conceded just eight goals across their last 16 World Cup qualifying matches, shutting out both Brazil and Argentina along the way.

Fantastic football content straight to your inbox! The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. As the case with 2022, a multi-song FIFA World Cup official soundtrack was released, instead of a playlist and a single official song which was the case in 2018. Jordan Pickford, John Stones and Marcus Rashford will also be appearing at their third World Cup, while Jordan Henderson will be making a Three Lions’ record-equalling fourth appearance in the finals alongside Sir Bobby Charlton.

A draw might be good enough for Brazil to win Group C because it can overpower Morocco on the goal differential tiebreaker. Carlo Ancelotti's team has a difficult opener against Morocco, but after that, it should cruise against Scotland and Haiti. Brazil is a -330 (bet $330 to win $100) favorite to win Group C at FanDuel Sportsbook. Endrick is a breakout candidate among young players. The majority of the World Cup favorites will only have one true test during their first three games across Mexico, Canada and the United States. It was previously reported that of officials from Iran and Egypt had both demanded no messages of support for the LGBT community are displayed when they meet in Seattle on June 26

Man Utd put three players up for sale after £35m Ederson transfer

He's only netted once for Mexico in his first seven games – against Iceland – but there's more to come from him. A playmaker for his club, he is yet to nail down that position for his country with manager Vincenzo Montella likely to see him as an option from the bench should anything befall Orkun Kokcu or Kenan Yildiz. Uzun chose to represent Turkey rather than Germany and was handed his senior international debut in 2024, when he was playing for Nuremburg in Bundesliga 2 He is from Brisbane and only moved to the US in January for a club-record fee, and has done well enough in Major League Soccer to win a place in the Australian World Cup squad. He is a left-footed right-winger who has excellent close control and loves to dribble. Gessime has featured in all their recent friendlies since, making his debut against Ecuador in March as he attempts to break into a side that reached the semi-finals in Qatar.

Musicians Alejandro Fernandez, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Angeles Azules, Mana and Tyla will also be performing on stage. Shakira and Burna Boy will perform Dai Dai, the official anthem of the 2026 World Cup, at the opening ceremony in Mexico City. The 2026 World Cup kicks off on Thursday koora live and a huge opening ceremony will take place to mark the occasion.

If he gets the opportunity, he could be a player that makes a bigger, more global name for himself if Algeria are successful at this tournament. Maza has played over 40 times for his club this season and has 15 international caps so has plenty of experience for his age Gutierrez moved from Chicago Fire to Guadalajara in January and helped them reach the title play-off round semi-final of Liga MX.

The official mascots of the tournament were revealed on September 25, 2025, and are Maple, Zayu, and Clutch. To promote the product line, Lego organized FIFA World Cup 2026-themed activations in several markets, including a football festival and pop-up experience in Singapore. Several sets featured hidden references to the players' careers, alternative display poses, and commemorative World Cup-themed designs. In conjunction with the tournament, the Lego Group released a series of officially licensed FIFA World Cup 2026-themed construction sets. Due to the expansion of the tournament, each pack now contains seven stickers as opposed to the usual 5.