Analysis— 5 min read
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is almost here. For the first time in the tournament's history, 48 nations will contest football's biggest prize across 16 host cities in three countries, with the final taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
The tournament opens on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City as hosts Mexico face South Africa in Group A — a repeat of the opening fixture from the 2010 tournament. From there, 103 matches follow over 39 days, making this by some distance the largest World Cup ever staged.
Sixteen cities across the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada will host matches. Venues range from the iconic Azteca to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, AT&T Stadium in Dallas and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where the final group stage ties and knockout rounds will be played out.
The expanded format means 32 groups of three, with the top two from each group progressing alongside the best eight third-placed sides. Critics have raised concerns about the number of dead-rubber finales, but for neutral supporters the sheer volume of nations and stories on show is hard to argue against.
For the first time, VAR will also review incorrectly awarded corner kicks, mistaken identity on cards and second-yellow red cards judged to be clearly wrong — changes that could have significant implications deep into the knockout rounds.
The tournament favourites are Spain, France, Argentina and Brazil, though injury clouds hang over several of the biggest names heading into the opening week. The question of whether this generation can finally deliver is one the next six weeks will answer.