December 06, (THEWILL) — The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 competing nations across 104 fixtures in Mexico, Canada and the United States. Friday’s group stage draw established the foundation for the tournament, though exact kick-off times and locations for all group matches will not be confirmed until a separate ceremony on Saturday.
Four qualification places remain unfilled ahead of the competition. These spots will be determined through March 2026 play-offs involving 16 UEFA nations and a separate six-way inter-confederation bracket.
The tournament opens on June 11 with Mexico playing at the Estadio Azteca, which will become the first stadium to host World Cup matches at three different editions.
Canada will begin their campaign in Toronto on June 12 before concluding group fixtures in Vancouver.
The nation, led by American coach Jesse Marsch, has yet to earn a point at a World Cup after losing all six previous matches by an aggregate score of 12–2. The United States men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino has stated his intention to win the trophy on home soil, saying that finishing second holds no significance.
The expanded format introduces a round of 32 for the first time in World Cup history.
The top two teams from each of the 12 groups will progress automatically to the first knockout round, joined by eight of the best third-place finishers. FIFA has seeded the draw to prevent Spain, Argentina, France and England from meeting before the semi-finals, provided all four win their respective groups.
The final will take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, with the third-place play-off scheduled for the day before at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Semi-finals will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on July 14 and 15 respectively.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
