The 2026 World Cup, decoded
Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.
A fan-first field guide to the biggest World Cup ever. 48 teams. 16 cities. Three countries. One trophy.
A note from us
“This isn't FIFA's site. It's the city guide we wished existed when we travel for the Cup.
We're fans first. So we built the thing we always wanted on a World Cup road trip: stadium info you can use, neighborhoods to walk, bars locals pack, food worth a detour, and the matches that matter.
Every city guide on this site is written for visiting supporters. No federation press releases. No sponsored fluff. Just the stuff that makes a trip great.
Made for fans, by fans.
What's on this site
Bracket Challenge
Two ways to play. Classic for the rankers, Fanatic for the score predictors.
My Brackets
Save up to three brackets per mode. Pick them up where you left off.
Friend Leagues
Bracket pools with your group chat. Invite by link, scoreboard updates live.
City Guides
All 16 host cities, with the neighborhoods, bars, and food the locals actually go to.
Schedule
All 104 matches in one feed. Filter by city, by stage, or by your team.
Blog
Where to stay, what to eat, where to watch. Field reports, not press releases.
01 / The tournament
At a glance
48 teams.
104 matches.
39 days.
The first World Cup hosted by three countries, and the first with 48 teams. Bigger field, longer tournament, more cities to chase a result in.
Dates
Jun 11 to Jul 19, 2026
Hosts
USA, Mexico, Canada
Opening match
June 11 at Estadio Azteca
Mexico City
The Final
July 19 at MetLife Stadium
New York / New Jersey
02 / The format
How it works
From the group stage to the trophy, here is what the path looks like for the 48 teams in the field.
- 48
Group Stage
12 groups of 4. Each team plays 3 matches.
- 32
Round of 32
Top 2 from each group plus the 8 best third-place teams.
- 16
Round of 16
Win or go home, all the way to the trophy.
- 8
Quarterfinals
Eight teams left. The stakes get personal.
- 4
Semifinals
One match from the biggest game in football.
- 2
The Final
July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium.
Heads up. The Round of 32 includes the top 2 from each of the 12 groups, plus the 8 best third-place finishers across all groups.
03 / The draw
Meet the groups
48 teams. 12 groups. Here is how the draw landed.
Mexico 
South Africa 
Korea Republic 
Czechia 
Canada 
Bosnia 
Switzerland 
Qatar 
Brazil 
Morocco 
Haiti 
Scotland 
United States 
Paraguay 
Australia 
Turkey 
Cรดte d'Ivoire 
Ecuador 
Germany 
Curaรงao 
Netherlands 
Japan 
Sweden 
Tunisia 
Belgium 
Egypt 
IR Iran 
New Zealand 
Saudi Arabia 
Uruguay 
Spain 
Cabo Verde 
France 
Senegal 
Iraq 
Norway 
Argentina 
Algeria 
Austria 
Jordan 
Portugal 
DR Congo 
Uzbekistan 
Colombia 
Ghana 
Panama 
England 
Croatia 04 / The hosts
The 16 cities
Eleven cities across the U.S., three in Mexico, two in Canada. Tap a card for the local field guide.
United States
11 cities
Atlanta
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Southern hospitality meets the world stage
Boston
Gillette Stadium
History, passion, and Fenway-level energy
Dallas
AT&T Stadium
Everything's bigger, including the matches
Houston
NRG Stadium
Space City, bayou culture, and world-class eats
Kansas City
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
BBQ capital with a soccer-mad heartbeat
Los Angeles
SoFi Stadium
Where Hollywood meets the world's game
Miami
Hard Rock Stadium
Latin heat, beach vibes, and football fever
New York / New Jersey
MetLife Stadium
The city that never sleeps meets the beautiful game
Philadelphia
Lincoln Financial Field
Gritty, loyal, and ready to party
San Francisco Bay Area
Levi's Stadium
Tech, tacos, and the Golden Gate backdrop
Seattle
Lumen Field
Rain or shine, the Emerald City shows up
Mexico
3 cities
05 / Your turn
Play the bracket
Two ways to play. Pick whichever fits your style, then invite your group chat into a friend league.
Classic Bracket
Rank the four teams in each group. Pick your knockout winners. Done in five minutes.
Start a Classic bracket
Fanatic Bracket
Predict the score of every group match. Standings compute themselves. More risk, more glory.
Start a Fanatic bracket
Got a friend group?
Start a private league. Free, invite-only, leaderboards update live.
06 / Culture
From the field
Where locals watch, what to eat, which neighborhoods have the vibes. Field reports from our writers across all 16 cities.
From the Blog
See all posts โ
07 / Tickets
Tickets, briefly
WC Culture doesn't sell tickets. We're here to help you experience the cities, not handle your booking.
For official tickets, head to FIFA's ticketing portal. Tickets release in phases, so sign up for updates to be notified when sales open.
08 / FAQ
The questions we get the most
How many teams are in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
48 teams compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, divided into 12 groups of 4.
How does the 2026 World Cup format work?
48 teams play in 12 groups of 4. The top 2 from each group plus the 8 best third-place teams advance to a Round of 32, then single-elimination knockout rounds through the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final.
Where is the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final is on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New York / New Jersey.
How many host cities are in the 2026 World Cup?
There are 16 host cities across three countries: 11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada.
When does the 2026 FIFA World Cup start?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on June 11, 2026 with the opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Where can I buy 2026 World Cup tickets?
Official tickets are available through FIFA's ticketing portal at fifa.com. Tickets are released in phases, so sign up for updates to be notified when sales open.