The 23rd FIFA World Cup kicks off on 11 June 2026 at the Estadio Azteca and ends on 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium. Tri-host across Canada, Mexico and the United States, 48 teams, 12 groups, 104 matches — the biggest football tournament in history. Here are the storylines that matter as the countdown closes.
All 48 qualified nations were placed into the 12 groups at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on Friday evening, 5 December 2025. The pots, the constraints, and the headlines:
The full group draw is on the homepage groups section and indexed on the seeded teams page.
All 48 teams placed into 12 groups on 5 December 2025 at the JFK Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. First time the World Cup draw was held outside Switzerland or the host country.
Seeded teams →Twelve groups of four. Top two from each plus the eight best third-placed teams advance. 32-team knockout, 104 total matches — 40 more than Qatar 2022. New "third-place ranking" sub-rule will decide tight cases.
Group draw →Canada, Mexico and the United States co-host. 11 venues in the US, three in Mexico, two in Canada. AT&T Stadium (Dallas) is largest at ~94,000; BMO Field (Toronto) the smallest at ~45,000 after expansion.
FIFA host cities →The 11 June 2026 opening match at Estadio Azteca — the only venue ever to host three World Cup openings. The 19 July 2026 final at MetLife Stadium in New York / New Jersey, capacity ~82,500 for the showpiece.
Official site →Cape Verde (Group H), Jordan (Group J), Curaçao (Group E) and Uzbekistan (Group K) qualify for the men's World Cup for the first time ever. The expanded format opening the door for four new flags.
All 48 teams →No team has won consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1962. Argentina arrive as defending champions, drawn into Group J with Austria, Algeria and Jordan. Lionel Messi's last World Cup tilt as a 38-year-old.
Argentina team page →Phased general-public ticket sales running on FIFA.com through spring 2026. Hospitality and travel-inclusive packages via On Location. Resale opens shortly before kickoff under FIFA's official platform — third-party resale remains void.
FIFA tickets →Semi-automated offside (SAOT) on every venue. Connected ball with inertial sensor for kick-point detection. Body-cam referees on trial in select knockout matches. Goal-line technology unchanged from Qatar 2022.
FIFA Inside →WorldCuply.com is the premium .com for 2026 World Cup content, coverage and commerce. The listing price rises $100 every day until kickoff on 11 June 2026 — every day you wait, the ask goes up.