The wait is basically over. Well, sort of. If you’re checking your calendar and asking when will FIFA World Cup start, the short answer is June 11, 2026. Mark that Thursday. It’s going to be a long summer.
Mexico City’s legendary Estadio Azteca gets the honor of the opening whistle. It’s a bit poetic, really. The Azteca has seen Pelé and Maradona lift trophies, and now it kicks off the most bloated, ambitious, and geographically massive tournament ever conceived. We aren't just looking at a few cities anymore; this thing is spread across three countries—Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Let's be real: this isn't your grandfather’s World Cup.
The Kickoff Timeline You Need to Know
FIFA confirmed the schedule after what felt like years of deliberation. The opening match happens on June 11, 2026. But since there are 48 teams now—up from the 32 we’ve lived with since 1998—the group stage is a marathon. You’re looking at a 39-day tournament. That’s a week longer than the Qatar 2022 edition.
It’s a lot of football. Maybe too much?
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Some fans think the quality might dip with more teams, but try telling that to the nations finally getting a shot. The tournament wraps up on July 19, 2026. That final is heading to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Yeah, "New York/New Jersey" as the marketing folks love to call it. It’s a controversial pick for some who wanted Los Angeles or Dallas, but the proximity to New York's global hub status won out in the end.
Why 2026 is a Different Beast
We have to talk about the 48-team expansion. It changes everything.
Initially, FIFA toyed with the idea of three-team groups. It sounded like a disaster waiting to happen. Imagine two teams playing a boring draw in the final group game just to knock the third team out. Everyone hated it. Thankfully, they pivoted back to four-team groups. That means we get 12 groups. The top two from each group move on, plus the eight best third-place finishers.
Does it make the group stage a bit less "do or die"? Probably. But it adds an entire extra knockout round—the Round of 32.
- Total Matches: 104 games.
- Host Cities: 16 across the continent.
- Final Date: July 19.
The travel is going to be brutal. A team could theoretically play a game in the humidity of Miami and then have to fly five hours to the thin air of Mexico City or the rainy Pacific Northwest in Seattle. FIFA says they’re trying to "cluster" games to reduce travel, but with a continent this size, "close" is a relative term.
The Cities Hosting the Chaos
When people ask when will FIFA World Cup start, they’re usually also wondering where they can actually see a game. The U.S. takes the lion's share of matches, especially from the quarterfinals onward.
In the United States, we’re looking at Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle. Dallas actually got the most matches total—nine games at AT&T Stadium. If you want volume, Texas is your best bet.
Mexico brings the heat in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. Canada is keeping it focused on Toronto and Vancouver. It’s a massive logistical nightmare that FIFA President Gianni Infantino insists will be "the greatest show on Earth." We'll see.
Honestly, the logistics of the 1994 World Cup in the U.S. were already tough, and that was just one country. Now we’re dealing with three different sets of border customs and three different currencies.
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Ticket Anxiety and How to Beat It
Don’t go looking for tickets on random websites yet. You’ll get scammed.
FIFA hasn't opened the general sale. They usually start a "Register Your Interest" phase about 18 to 24 months out. Since we’re in early 2026, the primary lottery windows are either active or just about to close. If you missed the official FIFA portal, your next best bet is the official hospitality packages, but those cost a small fortune—think "second mortgage" territory.
There’s a misconception that tickets will be easy to get because the stadiums are huge NFL arenas. Not true. The demand is expected to be roughly six times the available capacity for the big matches.
The Impact of the Summer Heat
Qatar was held in November and December because the summer heat in Doha is literally lethal for high-performance athletes. 2026 returns to the June-July slot.
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North America in July is no joke.
I’ve seen games in Houston and Orlando where the "feels like" temperature hits 105°F ($40.5^{\circ}C$) with 90% humidity. Most of the U.S. stadiums have climate control or retractable roofs, but venues like the Rose Bowl (if it were used) or outdoor pitches in the South will be grueling. FIFA has already implemented mandatory cooling breaks, but the physical toll on players coming off a long European season is a major talking point among sports scientists.
Dr. George Chiampas, US Soccer’s chief medical officer, has been vocal about player safety in these conditions for years. Expect a lot of evening kickoffs to avoid the midday sun, which might annoy fans in Europe watching at 3:00 AM, but it's a necessity for the players.
What to Do Right Now
If you're serious about attending, the clock is ticking faster than you think.
- Check your passport. It needs to be valid for at least six months past July 2026.
- Book flights early, but not too early. Most airlines don’t release seats until 11 months out. Set a reminder for July 2025 to start scouting the June 2026 routes.
- Pick a hub. Don't try to follow a team across the whole continent unless you have a private jet and no job. Pick a region—like the Northeast (Philly, NY, Boston)—and stick to it.
- Follow official channels. The only place for legit info is FIFA.com. Anything else is usually noise or a resale markup.
Knowing when will FIFA World Cup start is just the first step in a very expensive, very exciting journey. We are looking at 48 teams, 104 matches, and a footprint that covers nearly 5,000 miles from Vancouver to Mexico City. It’s going to be loud, it’s going to be crowded, and it’s going to be the biggest version of the beautiful game we've ever seen.
Get your flights sorted by late 2025. Secure your accommodation in host cities before the prices triple—which they will. Most importantly, start saving now, because a summer in North America during a World Cup is many things, but "cheap" isn't one of them.