World Cup 2026 Schedule: Every Match, Every City, Every Date
Oscar Garcia
AI-assistedFounder of Roavi
World Cup 2026 is the biggest sporting event in history — 104 matches, 48 teams, 16 host cities, and 39 days of football across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Tournament dates: June 11 – July 19, 2026.
Opening Match
June 11, 2026 — Mexico City, Estadio Azteca. Mexico opens the tournament at the same stadium that hosted the 1970 and 1986 finals. The Azteca is the only venue to have hosted three World Cup tournaments.
Group Stage (June 11 – June 27)
12 groups of 4 teams each. Each group plays 6 matches. 72 group-stage matches spread across all 16 host cities.
| Phase | Dates | Matches |
|---|
|---|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | June 11–17 | 24 |
|---|---|---|
| Matchday 2 | June 18–22 | 24 |
| Matchday 3 | June 23–27 | 24 |
Most cities host 4–6 group-stage matches.
Round of 32 (June 29 – July 3)
New for 2026: a Round of 32 before the Round of 16. The top 2 from each group plus the 8 best third-placed teams advance — 32 teams in total. 16 matches across 8 days.
Round of 16 (July 4 – July 7)
8 matches. The tournament shifts toward larger venues.
Quarterfinals (July 9 – July 11)
4 matches. By this stage, matches concentrate in the biggest US/Canadian stadiums.
Semifinals (July 14 – July 15)
Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) and Dallas (AT&T Stadium) host the two semifinals.
Third-Place Match (July 18)
Miami — Hard Rock Stadium.
The Final (July 19, 2026)
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ. Capacity 82,500 (expandable to ~88k for the final).
Match Distribution by Host City
| City | Country | Stadium | Matches |
|---|
|---|---|---|---|
| NY/NJ | USA | MetLife | 8 (incl. Final) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | USA | AT&T | 9 (incl. SF) |
| Atlanta | USA | Mercedes-Benz | 8 (incl. SF) |
| Mexico City | Mexico | Estadio Azteca | 5 (incl. opener) |
| Miami | USA | Hard Rock | 7 (incl. 3rd-place) |
| LA | USA | SoFi | 8 |
| Boston | USA | Gillette | 7 |
| Houston | USA | NRG | 7 |
| Philadelphia | USA | Lincoln Financial | 6 |
| Kansas City | USA | Arrowhead | 6 |
| Seattle | USA | Lumen Field | 6 |
| SF Bay Area | USA | Levi's | 6 |
| Toronto | Canada | BMO Field | 6 |
| Vancouver | Canada | BC Place | 7 |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | Estadio Akron | 4 |
| Monterrey | Mexico | Estadio BBVA | 4 |
Practical Travel Tips
Don't try to follow one team. A team like Brazil could play group games in Dallas, LA, and Miami — flights between US host cities run $200–500. Pick a region (East Coast / West Coast / Mexico) and stick to it.
Mexico hosts wrap up early. All Mexican host cities finish by Round of 16 (July 7). Mexico is the cheapest base for the group stage.
The final is in NJ, not NYC. MetLife Stadium is in East Rutherford. Stay in Manhattan and take NJ Transit (~30 min), or stay closer in Hoboken, Jersey City, or Secaucus.
A Local Friend in your host city makes the difference between a chaotic FIFA experience and a great trip — they know which trains run on match nights, where fans gather pre-match, and where to eat after the stadium empties out.
Browse Local Friends in Mexico City, Miami, Toronto, and New York on Roavi.
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