FIFA has announced that the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
The historic venue with a capacity of 83,000 will host the first match of the tournament on June 11, 2026. This is the third time the World Cup has been held on Mexican soil, after 1970 and 1986. Masu.
Mexico will host the expansion match along with the United States and Canada. Canada’s first-ever World Cup final will be held at BMO Field in Toronto on June 12.
2026 FIFA World Cup Match Schedule – Summary:
- The 26th FIFA World Cup will begin on Thursday, June 11, 2026 at the famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with the final scheduled for Sunday, July 19, 2026 in New York, New Jersey.
- Toronto, Mexico City and Los Angeles will host their respective national teams’ opening games.
- Canada, Mexico and the United States are guaranteed to play three group stage matches at home, while Guadalajara, Vancouver and Seattle will also play group stage matches.
- Miami will host the bronze final, while Dallas and Atlanta will host the highly anticipated semifinals, with Dallas hosting nine games, the most of any tournament host city.
- The innovative match schedule guarantees teams three days’ rest in 103 of the tournament’s 104 matches. To reduce travel for teams and supporters, most matches will take place in three regional zones: East, Center and West.
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2026 FIFA World Cup – Group stage:
- The first day of the tournament will feature two matches, including the tournament curtain-raiser in Mexico and a match in Guadalajara.
- Two matches will be played on the second day, with the participation of the host countries Canada and the United States.
- The final four matches of the group stage will consist of six matches per day. Matches within the same group will be played at the same time to maintain the integrity of the competition.
- On all other match days in the group stage, there will be four matches per day spread over four kick-off times.
- The Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will host the opening match for the third time, making it the first stadium in the history of the FIFA World Cup to host the opening match.
- Canada will host its first ever FIFA World Cup, continuing its proud history of hosting some of FIFA’s best women’s and youth tournaments, including the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup™.
- The United States will host the FIFA World Cup for the second time, following a record-breaking run in 1994. The United States also successfully hosted two FIFA Women’s World Cups (1999 and 2003).
- Fans can pre-register for tickets to FIFA World Cup 26 at fifa.com/tickets. For information on hospitality packages, you can pre-register at fifa.com/hospitality.
Details of the competition schedule can be found in the document below. Additional media sources are also available for editing here.
