Interesting facts
The records, firsts and quirks behind the biggest World Cup ever.
2026 is the first World Cup hosted by three nations — Canada, Mexico and the United States.
It is also the first 48-team World Cup, expanding from 32 and running a record 104 matches.
Estadio Azteca becomes the first stadium ever to host matches at three different World Cups.
The final will be played at MetLife Stadium in the New York/New Jersey area.
16 host cities span three countries and four time zones — the most geographically spread finals in history.
Mexico becomes the first country to host (or co-host) the men's World Cup three times: 1970, 1986 and 2026.
The tournament introduces a new Round of 32 knockout stage for the first time.
Canada will host men's World Cup matches for the first time, in Toronto and Vancouver.
The opening match is Mexico vs South Africa on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca — a rematch of the 2010 World Cup opener, which finished 1-1.
The final is on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, kicking off at 15:00 local time before a capacity crowd of 82,500.
The 104 matches break down as 72 in the group stage and 32 in the knockout rounds — up from 64 at Qatar 2022.
The winners will earn a record $50m in prize money, up from $42m at Qatar 2022.
The United States hosts 78 matches across 11 stadiums, with Mexico and Canada staging 13 each.