2026 world cup
- The 26th FIFA World Cup will be held from June 11, 2026 to July 19, 2026. Group stage matches begin with Mexico's match on Thursday, June 11th at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. World Cup matches begin in Toronto, Canada on Friday, June. 12th, and for the American team in Los Angeles on June 12th.
- Dallas will be selected as one of 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup in June 2022, and nine games will be held at Arlington's AT&T Stadium during the World Cup.
- The United States, Canada, and Mexico are all host countries, so all countries automatically qualify.
After months of speculation, FIFA announced on Sunday that New York/New Jersey will host the 2026 World Cup finals.
The International Soccer Federation announced the match venue on Sunday, giving North Texas nine games at the 2026 world championships, more than any other host city.
In June 2022, Dallas (North Texas) was selected as one of 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup. AT&T Stadium in Arlington was rumored to be the favorite to host the final, but that honor went to MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey.
While there was obvious disappointment that the final game went to New Jersey, former players, the mayor and others involved in North Texas' bid for the World Cup said winning nine games was an understatement. He said it was a huge accomplishment that cannot be overestimated.
“This is a tremendous success,” Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “This is a win. This is a huge success for all the organizations involved here. It's easy to sit here and say we came in second place, but in the real world, these few seconds here are amazing. That's no exaggeration.”
Monica Paul, executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission, said the region's shortlist to make the finals is a huge victory and will begin work immediately to host the best World Cup in history.
“Four of the nine games will be played in the elimination round…and there will be a final game on the final elimination day of the group stage,” said Dan Hunt, co-owner of FC Dallas and the Kansas City Chiefs. “So there will be five games that will be played in this great theater, which will either be played or not. There will be more drama on this pitch than anywhere else in the whole World Cup bid.”
The quadrennial event brings an unprecedented number of tourists to North Texas and is expected to have an economic impact of more than $1 billion. The World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world, reaching billions of viewers on television.
“During the World Cup, we estimate there will be 4 million visitors to the Metroplex alone, with possibly as many as 100,000 international visitors each day,” said Jason Sands, executive director of the Fort Worth Sports Commission. It's sexual,” he said. So this is a level we've never seen before. ”
“Now imagine if we were to host seven or eight games and host a semi-final or a final, what kind of impact would that have? It's hard to wrap your head around it,” Sands said. .
Paul said Sunday that he hasn't made any financial projections for the nine games yet, but hopes to have updated numbers soon.
FIFA World Cup 26 match schedule announced
Shortly after 2 p.m., FIFA announced that Mexico would kick off the tournament at home. The opening game of the group stage will be held on Thursday, June 11th at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Canada's World Cup matches will begin on Friday, June 12th in Toronto, with the first match in Vancouver taking place on Saturday, June 13th.
The U.S. team will play its first game on Friday, June 12th in Los Angeles.
AT&T Stadium in Arlington will host five group stage games on Sunday, June 14th. Wednesday, June 17th. Monday, June 22nd. Thursday, June 25th. Arlington will also host two Knockout Round of 32 games on June 30 and July 3, and another Round of 16 game on July 6. Arlington will also host a semifinal match on July 14.
Houston will also host five group stage games on Sunday, June 14th. Wednesday, June 17th. Saturday June 20th. Tuesday, June 23rd. Houston will host one knockout match in the Round of 32 on June 29th and one knockout match in the Round of 16 on July 4th.
The bronze medal final will be held on July 18, 2026 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The finals will be held on July 19, 2026 in New York/New Jersey.
When is the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11, 2026 to July 19, 2026. This event is held every four years and has been held without interruption since 1950. The current champions are Argentina, who won the 2022 competition.
Where will the 2026 World Cup matches be held?
The event will be co-hosted by three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The 2026 World Cup will be the third time that Mexico has been selected to host the tournament, the second time for the United States, and the first time for Canada. The United States held it in Los Angeles in 1994, and Mexico held it twice in Mexico City in 1970 and 1986.
Teams from 48 countries will play 104 games over the course of the two-week tournament. Games will be played in the Canadian cities of Toronto and Vancouver, the Mexican cities of Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey, and the US cities and regions of Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle.
The complete schedule was announced on Sunday.
How to get tickets to the 2026 World Cup
Want to get tickets? You must first register your interest in tickets. You can do that at this link.
How does the tournament work?
The tournament begins with a group stage, where 12 groups of four national teams compete to advance to the Round of 32. The top two teams from each group will advance from the group stage along with the top eight teams in third place. The Round of 32 will consist of four knockout rounds to determine semi-finalists and finalists.
The 2026 World Cup will feature a 48-team group stage for the first time. The lineup has been expanded from the 32-team system that had been in place since 1998.
For some national teams, qualifying for the 2026 World Cup began last year. The United States, Canada, and Mexico are all host countries, so all countries automatically qualify.