2026 FIFA World Cup match dates announced

According to the statement made by FIFA, the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, considered the world's most important football tournament, will be played on June 11, 2026, at the 83,000-capacity Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico.

Azteca Stadium went down in history during the 1986 World Cup quarter-final match where Argentina defeated England 2-1, featuring Diego Armando Maradona's goal scored with his hand.

FINAL MATCH IN THE USA

The final match of the 2026 World Cup will be held on July 19, 2026, at the 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium in the US state of New Jersey.

Group stage matches between June 11-27 will be played in all 16 host cities of the tournament.

The round of 32 matches will take place from June 28 to July 3 in all cities except Guadalajara and Philadelphia, while the round of 16 matches will be held from July 4-7 in Vancouver, Seattle, Mexico City, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New York/New Jersey.

Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami, and Boston will host the quarter-finals on July 9-11, Dallas and Atlanta will host the semi-finals on July 14-15, and Miami will host the third-place match on July 18.

In the 2026 World Cup, 48 teams will compete in 12 groups instead of 32 teams in 8 groups, and a total of 104 matches will be played throughout the tournament instead of 64.

The 24 teams that finish in the top 2 of their groups, along with the 8 best third-placed teams, will qualify for the round of 32.

While Mexico previously hosted the World Cup in 1970 and 1986, and the USA in 1994, Canada will be a co-host for this excitement for the first time.

The draw for the 2026 World Cup fixture will be held at the end of 2025.

News Source: 12punto