Honestly, the schedule for the next World Cup is kind of a beast. If you're sitting there wondering fifa world cup when does it start, you aren't just looking for a single date. You're looking at a massive, cross-continental shift in how soccer—or football, depending on where you're reading this—is actually played.
It officially kicks off on June 11, 2026.
But that's just the surface. This isn't your standard month-long tournament anymore. Because FIFA decided to expand the field to 48 teams, we are looking at 39 days of pure chaos across three different countries.
The Opening Whistle in Mexico City
The very first match happens at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. It’s legendary. This stadium is basically the cathedral of North American soccer, and it’s making history by being the first venue to host three different World Cup opening games.
Mexico will be one of the teams playing that day, likely against South Africa, though the final group seedings always have a bit of wiggle room until the very last minute.
If you're in the U.S. or Canada, don't worry. You don't have to wait long.
The "opening" matches for the other host nations happen the very next day. On June 12, 2026, the USMNT starts their journey at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Canada will be hosting their first-ever men's World Cup match on home soil at BMO Field in Toronto. It’s a staggered start, designed to make sure every host nation gets its moment in the spotlight without the TV schedules cannibalizing each other.
FIFA World Cup When Does It Start: The 2026 Timeline
You’ve gotta realize how much bigger this is than Qatar or Russia. We went from 64 matches to 104 matches. That’s a lot of soccer.
- Group Stage: June 11 – June 27, 2026.
- Round of 32: June 28 – July 3, 2026.
- Round of 16: July 4 – July 7, 2026.
- Quarter-finals: July 9 – July 11, 2026.
- Semi-finals: July 14 – July 15, 2026.
- The Final: July 19, 2026.
Wait, did you catch that? A Round of 32.
In the old format, you’d get through the groups and go straight to the Round of 16. Now, because there are 12 groups of four teams, the path to the trophy is longer. You basically have to survive an extra knockout game. For the players, it’s grueling. For us watching at home? It’s another week of high-stakes drama.
Why the Dates Feel Different This Time
The 2022 tournament in Qatar was a weird outlier. Playing in November and December totally messed with the rhythm of the European club season.
2026 is a "return to normalcy," sort of.
It’s back in the summer. However, "summer" in North America means wildly different things. You might have a game in the humid heat of Miami one day and then a match in the relatively mild Pacific Northwest the next. FIFA has tried to group these games into regions—West, Central, and East—to keep the flight times from being totally insane for the teams.
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But let's be real: traveling from Vancouver to Mexico City is still a trek.
Where the Big Games Are Actually Happening
If you're planning to go, you need to know that the final isn't in LA or Mexico City. It’s at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (marketed as New York/New Jersey).
That happens on July 19.
The semi-finals are split between Dallas (AT&T Stadium) and Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium). If you’ve ever been to AT&T Stadium, you know it’s basically a spaceship. It’s massive. FIFA actually has to make some tweaks to these NFL stadiums, like potentially raising the floor or installing real grass over the turf, which is a whole logistical nightmare people don't really talk about much.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 48-Team Format
There was this original idea to have groups of three teams. People hated it. It would have meant the last game of the group could be rigged so both teams advance.
Thankfully, they scrapped that.
Now we have 12 groups of four. The top two from each group go through, plus the eight best third-place teams. This is where it gets confusing. You could technically lose two games and still find a way into the knockout rounds if the math works out in your favor. It keeps more teams "alive" longer, but it also means we'll be doing a lot of late-night scoreboard watching to see who sneaks in.
Tickets and Logistics: The "Now" Factor
If you're reading this in early 2026, you're already in the thick of it. The first major ticket lottery—the "Random Selection Draw"—closed in January 2026. Over 500 million requests were put in. That’s not a typo.
The next big window is February 10, 2026.
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This is usually a first-come, first-served phase. If you want to be there when it starts on June 11, you need to have your FIFA ticketing account set up way in advance. Don't wait for the day of. The site will crash. It always does.
Actionable Steps for Fans Right Now
- Check your Passport: If you’re planning to follow a team across the borders of the US, Mexico, and Canada, make sure your documents are valid through at least early 2027.
- Download the FIFA+ App: This is where the official "Resale Platform" will live. If you missed the lottery, this is the only way to get legitimate tickets without paying a 400% markup to a scalper.
- Book "Refundable" Travel: We know the cities, but we don't know exactly which specific teams (other than the hosts) are in which city until the final brackets are set. Book hotels in the "Regional Hubs" like Dallas or New York now, but make sure you can cancel them.
- Set a Calendar Alert for February 10: This is the next major ticket release. Be ready at 12 p.m. ET.
The 2026 World Cup is going to be the largest sporting event ever held. Starting on June 11, the entire continent basically turns into one giant fan zone. Whether you're at the Azteca for the opener or watching a screen in a park in Toronto, it’s going to be a long, loud, and incredibly fast 39 days.