Inside FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule, Host Cities & Venues | Catch Movement
The 2026 FIFA World Cup ran from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico and the United States. It was the first men's World Cup hosted by three countries and the first played with 48 teams, expanding the tournament to 104 matches across 16 host cities.
This evergreen archive records the tournament window, format, host-city distribution and stadium locations without asserting scores, winners or individual match results. FIFA's official match centre remains the source for the verified bracket and results.
Eleven US host cities, two Canadian cities and three Mexican cities formed the tournament footprint. Estadio Azteca in Mexico City staged the opening match, while MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey staged the final.
Tournament dates and stage windows
The group stage ran from June 11 through June 27, followed by the Round of 32 from June 28 through July 3 and the Round of 16 from July 4 through July 7. Quarterfinals were scheduled for July 9-11, semifinals for July 14-15, the third-place playoff for July 18 and the final for July 19.
FIFA's official match centre carries the authoritative match-by-match fixtures and results. This archive keeps only the stable tournament structure and venue record.
The first 48-team World Cup format
The 48 teams were arranged into 12 groups of four, with each team playing three group-stage matches. The top two teams in each group and the eight best third-place finishers advanced to a new Round of 32.
From the Round of 32, the tournament used single-elimination rounds through the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, third-place playoff and final. The expanded structure produced 104 matches, compared with 64 under the previous 32-team format.
The United States, Canada and Mexico qualified automatically as hosts. The remaining places came through the six confederation qualifying paths and the intercontinental playoff.
Tournament dates and stage windows
The group stage ran from June 11 through June 27, followed by the Round of 32 from June 28 through July 3 and the Round of 16 from July 4 through July 7. Quarterfinals were scheduled for July 9-11, semifinals for July 14-15, the third-place playoff for July 18 and the final for July 19.
FIFA's official match centre carries the authoritative match-by-match fixtures and results. This archive keeps only the stable tournament structure and venue record.
World Cup 2026 in Canada
Canada hosted 13 matches across two venues. Toronto's BMO Field staged six matches after a temporary capacity expansion, while Vancouver's BC Place staged seven beneath its retractable roof. The two host cities are roughly 4,400 kilometres apart, illustrating the geographic scale of the tournament.
World Cup 2026 in the United States
The United States hosted 78 of the tournament's 104 matches across Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey staged the final on July 19.
World Cup 2026 in Mexico
Mexico hosted 13 matches across Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey. Estadio Azteca staged the opening match and became the first stadium used at three editions of the men's World Cup.
Host cities
Atlanta
Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosted Atlanta's 2026 World Cup matches. The retractable-roof venue sits beside downtown and is connected to Hartsfield-Jackson airport by MARTA.
Boston
Boston's matches were played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, roughly 35 miles southwest of central Boston. The suburban location made road and event-day commuter-rail planning central to the host-city experience.
Dallas
AT&T Stadium in Arlington was one of the tournament's largest venues. Its retractable roof provided a climate-controlled setting between Dallas and Fort Worth.
Houston
NRG Stadium hosted Houston's matches under a retractable roof. The METRORail Red Line connected the stadium district with downtown during the tournament.
Kansas City
Arrowhead Stadium was the tournament's open-air Kansas City venue. The stadium sits in the Truman Sports Complex east of downtown and is primarily reached by road.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles matches were staged at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The indoor-outdoor venue is close to LAX and served as the tournament's principal Southern California stadium.
Miami
Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens hosted South Florida's matches. Its canopy shaded the seating bowl while the field remained open to the summer weather.
New York/New Jersey
MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford hosted the final on July 19, 2026. The Meadowlands venue is west of Manhattan and was connected by event-day NJ Transit service.
Philadelphia
Lincoln Financial Field hosted Philadelphia's World Cup matches. SEPTA's Broad Street Line connected the South Philadelphia sports complex with Center City.
San Francisco Bay Area
Bay Area matches were played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara rather than central San Francisco. The venue's South Bay location made San Jose and Santa Clara the closest visitor bases.
Seattle
Lumen Field was the tournament's Pacific Northwest venue. Its SoDo location connected directly to downtown and Sea-Tac airport on Link light rail.
Toronto
BMO Field was temporarily expanded for Toronto's six tournament matches. The waterfront stadium is served by GO Transit's Exhibition station and Toronto streetcar routes.
Vancouver
BC Place hosted Vancouver's seven matches beneath its retractable roof. The downtown venue sits beside Stadium-Chinatown SkyTrain station.
Mexico City
Estadio Azteca hosted the opening match on June 11, 2026. That made it the first stadium to stage matches at three editions of the men's World Cup after 1970 and 1986.
Guadalajara
Guadalajara's matches were played at Estadio Akron in Zapopan. The venue is the home of Club Deportivo Guadalajara and served western Mexico during the tournament.
Monterrey
Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe hosted Monterrey's matches. The open-air venue is known for its view toward Cerro de la Silla.