Deshi Tribune Sports Desk:
The biggest sporting event in human history is less than 75 days away.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 across the United
States, Canada and Mexico, and it promises to be unlike anything the
football world has ever seen. For the first time in history, the
tournament has expanded to 48 teams, split into twelve groups of four,
with the top two from each group and the eight best third-placed teams
advancing to a new Round of 32. The total number of matches played will
increase from 64 to 104, and the tournament will last 39 days.
THE HOST COUNTRIES AND OPENING MATCHES
The opening match will take place on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio
Azteca in Mexico City, featuring host nation Mexico against South
Africa. Canada’s opening match is on June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto,
and the United States open on the same day at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood,
California. Each host nation plays all three of its group stage matches
within its own country.
The final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East
Rutherford, New Jersey, which will be rebranded as New York New Jersey
Stadium for the event to comply with FIFA’s corporate naming policy.
THE 16 VENUES
The 16 host cities are divided into three geographical regions. The
Western Region includes Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco and Los
Angeles. The Central Region covers Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey,
Houston, Dallas and Kansas City. The Eastern Region comprises Atlanta,
Miami, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey.
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will host the most matches of any
venue at the tournament, with nine games. MetLife Stadium will host
eight matches, most notably the World Cup final on July 19, and will
also stage group games involving Brazil, France, Germany and England.
The United States will host 78 matches in total, including all games
from the quarterfinal stage onward, while Canada and Mexico will each
host 13 matches.
Here is the complete list of venues:
New York/New Jersey — MetLife Stadium — Final host, 8 matches
Dallas — AT&T Stadium — 9 matches, most of any venue
Los Angeles — SoFi Stadium — USA group games, knockout rounds
Atlanta — Mercedes-Benz Stadium — 8 matches, including a semifinal
Miami — Hard Rock Stadium — 7 matches, including Brazil and Portugal
group games, third-place match
Boston — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough — 7 matches including a
quarterfinal
Houston — NRG Stadium — 7 matches, including Portugal group games
Seattle — Lumen Field — USA group games
San Francisco — Levi’s Stadium — 6 matches
Kansas City — GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium — 6 matches, Argentina’s
group opener
Philadelphia — Lincoln Financial Field
Vancouver — BC Place — 7 matches
Toronto — BMO Field — Canada group games
Mexico City — Estadio Azteca — Opening match
Guadalajara — Estadio Akron
Monterrey — Estadio BBVA
THE 12 GROUPS
The draw was held on December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in
Washington D.C. The 48 qualified nations are divided as follows:
Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, UEFA Playoff D Winner
Group B: Canada, Switzerland, UEFA Playoff A Winner
Group C: Brazil, Scotland, Morocco, Haiti
Group D: USA, Paraguay, UEFA Playoff C Winner
Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Curaçao
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Playoff B Winner
Group G: Iran, New Zealand, Belgium
Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
Group I: Norway, Intercontinental Playoff 2 Winner
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Colombia, Uzbekistan, Intercontinental Playoff 1 Winner
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana
KEY MATCHES TO WATCH IN THE GROUP STAGE
Spain open their campaign against Cape Verde on June 15, face Saudi
Arabia on June 21, and close the group stage against Uruguay on June 26.
Argentina begin against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City, takes on
Austria on June 22, and face Jordan on June 27. England play Croatia on
June 17, Belgium face Iran on June 21, and Brazil take on Scotland on
June 24 in Miami. Germany open against Curaçao on June 14, while the
Netherlands face Japan on the same day. The USA play Paraguay on June 12
in their opener at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
THE KNOCKOUT STAGE
The expanded format introduces a new Round of 32 before the traditional
Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Final. The Round of 32 begins
on June 28 and runs through July 4. The Round of 16 follows from July 4
to July 6. Quarterfinals are scheduled for July 9 to 11. The two
Semifinals take place on July 14 and 15. The Third-Place match is on
July 18, and the Final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
TEAMS AND CONFEDERATIONS
The automatic qualifiers as hosts are Canada, Mexico and the United
States. From the Asian Football Confederation, the qualified teams are
Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Qatar and Saudi
Arabia. Europe provides the largest contingent with 16 teams, including
heavyweights Spain, France, England, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal,
Belgium, Italy and Croatia. South America is represented by Argentina,
Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia and Ecuador among others. Africa’s contingent
includes Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Ghana, Tunisia and Algeria.
WHY THIS TOURNAMENT IS HISTORIC
This is the first World Cup to be jointly hosted by three nations, the
first to feature 48 teams, and the first to be held in Canada. The World
Cup previously took place in North America three times — in Mexico in
1970 and 1986, and in the United States in 1994. With 104 matches across
16 cities, an expanded format and some of the world’s most iconic
stadiums as backdrops, the 2026 edition is shaping up to be the most
ambitious and spectacular World Cup in the tournament’s 96-year history.
For football fans in New York — and across the Bangladeshi diaspora —
the final at MetLife Stadium, just across the river from Manhattan, is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the world’s greatest sporting
event on the doorstep.
The countdown is on.
