The greatest spectacle of football without a doubt, is the FIFA World Cup. The 2022 edition provided fans with numerous memorable moments, including Japan’s miraculous upsets, Morocco’s inspiring run, Kylian Mbappe’s hattrick in the World Cup final, and Lionel Messi’s crowning moment.
This time, the World Cup is going to the West, where 48 teams will be vying for football’s most coveted trophy.
Match schedule, fixtures, and stadiums for FIFA World Cup 2026
FIFA recently announced the schedule for the 2026 edition of the World Cup. This will be the first World Cup in history to have 48 teams in it and the introduction of the “Round of 32” is also a new addition.
The matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be spread across three countries- Canada, Mexico and the United States. Canada’s first game will be played in the Toronto Stadium, Mexico’s first game will be played in the Estadio Azteca where Diego Maradona won the World Cup with Argentina, and the Los Angeles Stadium will host the United States’ first game.
The upcoming FIFA World Cup is scheduled to commence on June 4th, with the Round of 32 set to kick off at the conclusion of the Group Stages on June 28th. Following its conclusion, the Round of 16 will begin, on the 4th of July.
The Quarterfinals will be held in Los Angeles, Miami, Kansas City and Boston, starting on July 8. Semi-final matches will be played in Dallas and Atlanta on July 14 and 15 respectively. The third-place match, featuring the losing teams from the semifinals, is scheduled for July 18, 2026.
A total of 78 out of the 104 matches will be hosted in the United States across 11 stadiums. Additionally, 13 matches each will take place in Mexico and Canada, spread across 3 different stadiums in each country.
Where is the 2026 FIFA World Cup final going to be held?
The venue for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has also been announced by FIFA. The final will be held at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, New York. The final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be played on the 19th of July 2026.
The stadium was opened first in 2010 and has a capacity of 82,500. Despite its history of hosting NFL events, the stadium will now take center stage for one of the biggest football events in the world.
The MetLife Stadium serves as the home ground for the NFL’s New York Giants, New York Jets, and XFL’s New York Guardians. The stadium is also a versatile venue that hosts concerts featuring renowned artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift.
Previously, the stadium was used as the final for 2016’s Copa America, which saw Messi’s Argentina lose to Chile on penalties. This time however, it will be used for a much bigger event- the FIFA World Cup 2026.
