2026 FIFA World Cup: A Complete Guide to the Tournament

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Rodri raises the FIFA World Cup trophy above his head as jubilant Spain teammates crowd around him on the winners' podium, cheering and celebrating their victory. Gold confetti fills the air while FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump stand nearby on the stage during the trophy presentation following Spain's win over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final

The FIFA World Cup trophy stands on display at FIFA Home of Football in Zurich on November 20, 2025, ahead of the 2026 World Cup and European Play-Off draws. The golden trophy shines brightly, symbolising international football competition and achievement.

Photo and labeled diagram of the Trionda soccer ball used in FIFA 2026, featuring red, blue, and green panels for host countries, four aerodynamic panels, a motion sensor chip, and counterweights for balance.

June 2026 calendar showing 2026 FIFA World Cup match days with colored dots for host countries: green for Mexico, red for Canada, and blue for United States.

Lionel Messi, wearing Argentina number 10 jersey, looks upward with his hands raised in prayer as he celebrates scoring his team second goal during a FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage match against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium in Missouri.

Infographic summarizing FIFA World Cup history, including record attendances, top players and teams by appearances and goals, a map of 2026 host cities, and a timeline of past winners and milestones.

Diagram of a football penalty kick showing a ball on the penalty spot, a yellow aiming line toward the center of the goal, and a simplified goalkeeper standing in front of the net.

Fans in yellow Brazil jerseys gather in Times Square, waving large banners with illustrations of soccer legends Pele and Mario Zagallo ahead of the 2026 World Cup match.

Cape Verdes players and staff celebrate on the pitch after finishing as runners-up in Group H during the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Houston Stadium in Texas.

Curacao football supporters, including superfan Roald Balentien with his face and beard painted blue, cheer and pose with a Curacao flag in a stadium crowd.

Quick Facts

Location:: Canada; Mexico; United States

Key People:: Lionel Messi; Cristiano Ronaldo; Mohamed Salah; Harry Kane; Vinícius Júnior

See all related content

2026 FIFA World Cup: A Complete Guide to the Tournament

Q: Where and when will the 2026 FIFA World Cup take place?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup was jointly hosted in 16 cities; 11 in the United States , 3 in Mexico , and 2 in Canada . The tournament was held from June 11 to July 19 and consisted of 48 teams playing 104 matches (72 in the group stage and 24 in the knockout stage). Spain won its second World Cup title after defeating Argentina 1–0 (after extra time) in the final.

Q: How many teams will compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup had 48 teams competing, an increase from 32 teams in previous editions. Ahead of the final draw in December 2025 to decide the composition of the groups, 42 countries qualified for the tournament. The final 6 teams were decided through playoffs in March 2026. Because of the larger field, this World Cup lasted 39 days instead of the roughly 32 days of previous tournaments.

Q: What is the FIFA Peace Prize, and who won the inaugural edition of the award?

The FIFA Peace Prize is a special annual award established by the sport’s governing body in 2025. The award is presented each year to individuals who “helped to unite people all over the world in peace.” The inaugural prize was awarded to U.S. Pres. Donald Trump during the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage draw in December 2025.

Q: How expensive is a 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket?

As of April 2026 the price of a 2026 FIFA World Cup match ticket on the official direct sale platform varied from about $60 to $10,990 depending on many factors, including the fixture’s popularity, the seat category, FIFA ’s dynamic pricing models, and the date of purchase. In 2018 during the bidding to host the 2026 tournament, the United States , Canada , and Mexico had listed the maximum price of tickets for the tournament final at $1,550, a figure that rose to more than $8,000 per ticket during the initial closed sale of tickets to members of participating countries’ official fan clubs held in December 2025. Facing intense criticism and backlash from fans, FIFA priced a limited number of match tickets at $60 for all 104 matches in the tournament. Ticket prices in the open market fluctuated based on which of the three host countries a particular match was being played in, with cheaper prices listed for matches in Mexico and Canada than in the United States. In May the attorneys general of multiple U.S. states began investigating FIFA’s ticket pricing policy for the World Cup, looking into allegations that the organization was misleading fans with regards to stadium seats, generating artificial scarcity, and manipulating the dynamic pricing model, to raise ticket prices.

Q: Who is the youngest player in the World Cup?

The youngest player in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is midfielder Gilberto Mora (born October 14, 2008) of Mexico . He was 17 years and 240 days old on the first day of the tournament, June 11, 2026. The youngest player in the history of the World Cup was Norman Whiteside (born May 7, 1965) of Northern Ireland , who was 17 years and 41 days old when he played in the 1982 World Cup.

Q: How long is the World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup lasted 39 days, from June 11 to July 19, 2026. This made it the longest World Cup ever. The record length was the result of FIFA ’s decision to expand the number of teams competing from 32 to 48. The 2026 edition of the tournament, which took place in 16 cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, was also the first time that three countries hosted the World Cup.

Q: How much do World Cup referees make?

While FIFA has not officially disclosed the exact compensation for referees officiating World Cup matches, officials at the 2026 FIFA World Cup received both a fixed tournament fee of roughly $70,000 to $100,000 and an additional $3,000 to $10,000 per match, depending on the stage of the competition. Assistant referees and video assistant referees (VARs) received lower base fees and match payments.

Q: Who will host the 2030 FIFA World Cup?

In 2024 FIFA , the global governing body for football (soccer), announced that the 2030 FIFA World Cup will be cohosted by Spain , Portugal , and Morocco . The edition will mark the 100th anniversary of the first tournament in 1930 , which was hosted by Uruguay . In commemoration, three celebration matches will be played in South America , one each in Argentina , Paraguay , and Uruguay, respectively. The 2030 edition will be the first to be hosted across different continents. Saudi Arabia was chosen as the host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

Q: Who won the Golden Ball, Golden Boot, and Golden Glove awards at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

2026 FIFA World Cup champions Spain ’s players Rodri and Unai Simón were awarded the Golden Ball for the tournament’s best player and Golden Glove for the tournament’s best goalkeeper, respectively. France ’s Kylian Mbappé , who scored 10 goals, won the Golden Boot award for the tournament’s top scorer. Mbappé, who also won the prize in the 2022 edition, is the only men’s player to have achieved the feat twice. Argentina ’s Lionel Messi and England ’s Jude Bellingham won the Silver and Bronze Boots, awarded to the players who finished second and third on the goal-scoring chart, respectively. Messi and Mbappé also won the Silver and Bronze Balls, respectively, which were awarded to the second- and third-best players of the tournament.

football (soccer) tournament

Also known as: 2026 World Cup

Written by

Fred FrommerAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 14, 2026 •History

Where and when will the 2026 FIFA World Cup take place?

How many teams will compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

What is the FIFA Peace Prize, and who won the inaugural edition of the award?

How expensive is a 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket?

Who won the last World Cup?

Who is the youngest player in the World Cup?

How long is the World Cup?

Did Donald Trump ask FIFA to review a red card?

Yes, U.S. Pres. Donald Trump confirmed in a press conference that he had asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review a red card shown to United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) player Falorin Balogun during the team’s round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. While Trump insisted that he did not pressure Infantino to rescind the red card, members and advisers of his administration helped assemble legal support for the appeal, and senior officials including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly called for an appeals process to deliberate on overturning the ban. A few days after the match round of 32 match Balogun’s one-match ban was controversially suspended by FIFA, leaving him free to play in the USMNT’s round of 16 fixture against Belgium, which the United States ultimately lost 4-1 to exit the tournament. Trump’s intervention and FIFA’s actions drew widespread criticism, including from such organizations as the Royal Belgian Football Association and the Union of European Football Associations.

FIFA has made similar decisions to reduce or suspend match bans in the past. Earlier in 2026 Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo saw the punishment for two matches (out of a three-match ban) suspended for a red card he picked up during the World Cup qualifiers, which allowed him to play in Portugal’s first two group-stage matches in the main tournament. The last time a player didn’t serve a match-ban for being sent off the field at a World Cup was in the 1962 edition, before the adoption of the card system and when there was no explicit rule detailing the form of the punishment. In that incident, Brazilian star Garrincha was ejected from the tournament semifinal against Chile, but was allowed to take the field for the final match thanks to the heads of state of Brazil, Chile, and Peru (the semifinal referee’s home country) intervening on his behalf. (Read: FIFA’s Greatest World Cup Controversies.)

How much do World Cup referees make?

Who will host the 2030 FIFA World Cup?

Who won the Golden Ball, Golden Boot, and Golden Glove awards at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

News •

German skier Emma Aicher wins her first World Cup slalom race • Nov. 14, 2026, 10:56 AM ET (AP)

The coach who energized U.S. soccer at the World Cup is on the verge of leaving for a job in England • Nov. 12, 2026, 5:32 PM ET (AP)

US pulls boys team from FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar citing security in the Gulf • Nov. 12, 2026, 4:24 PM ET (AP)

FIFA releases evaluation reports for the 2031 and 2035 Women's World Cup • Nov. 11, 2026, 6:30 PM ET (AP)

FIFA politics around Infantino re-election bid compels Japanese official to quit • Oct. 28, 2026, 8:57 PM ET (AP)

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, an international men’s football (soccer) tournament organized by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA; world governing body of association football), took place in North America. Matches were held in 16 cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The 2026 FIFA World Cup began on June 11 and ended on July 19–with Spain winning its second title—after a total of 104 matches (72 in the group stage and 32 in the knockout stage). It was the first time that three countries jointly hosted a World Cup and only the second time that more than one country has done so. (Japan and South Korea teamed up to host the 2002 World Cup.) The 2026 tournament also marked the first time that 48 teams are competing, an increase from the previous 32.

A majority of the 2026 World Cup matches took place in the United States, with 11 U.S. cities serving as hosts: Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Boston, Dallas, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the New York City metropolitan area. The host cities in Mexico were Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey; and the host cities in Canada were Toronto and Vancouver. The World Cup previously took place in North America three times: 1970 and 1986 in Mexico, and in 1994 in the United States. The 2026 tournament was the first time the men’s World Cup was played in Canada.

FIFA, Football, and the World Cup

Aerial view of Mexico City Stadium, also known as Estadio Azteca, showing the oval-shaped arena with a green soccer field, surrounded by stands and city buildings.

Memorable World Cup Moments

Common Soccer Injuries

Historical Hat Trick Heroes

Cristiano Ronaldo in a light green Portugal national team training top, jogging on the field before a FIFA 2018 qualification game.

13 Footballers Who Never Won a World Cup

Crowd of Norway football fans in red shirts perform the Viking Row cheer in unison at a stadium during the 2026 World Cup match against Senegal.

Football Fandom: Chaos, Chants, and Community

Mexican soccer fans celebrate in a crowded stadium, with a woman in a sombrero cheering and holding up a victory sign after a goal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

2026 World Cup Teams

Soccer Slang 101

FIFA World Cup Records

Spain's national soccer team celebrates on stage as a player lifts the World Cup trophy, surrounded by teammates in red uniforms and gold confetti, with fans taking photos below.

World’s Greatest Football Players

Silhouetted construction workers stand in the foreground as cranes and scaffolding fill the Maracana stadium during refurbishment in Rio de Janeiro, with mountains in the background.

The Economics of the World Cup

Lionel Messi, wearing a black bisht, lifts the FIFA World Cup trophy surrounded by jubilant Argentina teammates celebrating their victory at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

2022 World Cup

Roberto Baggio stands with his head down in disappointment after missing a penalty, while Brazilian players celebrate in the background during the FIFA World Cup Final.

1994 World Cup

FIFA Women’s World Cup

FIFA president Gianni Infantino stands with United 2026 bid officials, all in suits, holding a framed certificate after announcing Canada, Mexico, and the US as 2026 World Cup hosts.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA President

Teams and format

Cabo Verde’s Dream Debut

Cabo Verde, a tiny archipelago off the west coast of Africa with a population of about 500,000, became one of the fan favorites of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The “Blue Sharks” (Cabo Verde football team’s nickname) remained unbeaten against Spain (0–0), Uruguay (2–2), and Saudi Arabia (0–0) in the group stage and pushed defending champion Argentina to the absolute brink in the round of 32, almost pulling off one of the greatest upsets in FIFA World Cup history.

The team’s 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper Vozinha has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the tournament. He made seven crucial saves to keep a clean sheet against European champion Spain and restricted Argentine superstar Lionel Messi to a lone goal from nine attempts in the round-of-32 match.

An unprecedented 48 teams competed in the 2026 World Cup: 8 teams from Asia, 9 from Africa, 6 from North America (Canada, Mexico, and the United States took 3 of the spots as host countries), 16 from Europe, 6 from South America, 1 from Oceania, and 2 additional teams chosen through intercontinental playoffs. In the first round, teams were divided into 12 groups of 4 teams each. Teams in each group played a round-robin of three games. The three hosts played their group stage matches in their respective home countries. The top two teams from each group (24 total) advanced to the knockout round. The top eight third-place teams (based on points scored, goal differential, and other criteria if necessary) likewise advanced for a total of 32 teams. Because of the larger field, this World Cup lasted 39 days instead of the roughly 32 days of previous tournaments. (Read more about the 2026 World Cup teams and players.)

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Final draw

On December 5, 2025, in a special ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., FIFA organized a draw to divide the qualified teams into 12 groups of 4 teams each (which included six placeholders). The final six places were decided through international playoffs in March 2026.

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and Czechia
Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, and Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, and Türkiye (Turkey)
Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, and Norway
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, and Jordan
Group K: Portugal, DRC, Uzbekistan, and Colombia
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, and Panama

Famous World Cup Goals

Diego Maradona uses his left hand to punch the ball into the net past England's goalkeeper during the 1986 FIFA World Cup, known as the hand of God goal.

1. Maradona’s “Hand of God”

2. Geoff Hurst’s Ghost Goal

3. Benjamin Pavard’s Perfect Strike

Black and white photo of a crowded stadium as Brazilian soccer legend Pele scores a goal during the 1958 World Cup final, helping Brazil win its first title; defenders and the goalkeeper react as the ball heads toward the net.

4. Teen Prodigy Pelé

Animated gif of James Rodriguez in a yellow Colombia jersey scoring a left-footed volley at the World Cup, with players and crowd in the background.

5. James Rodríguez’s Wonder Volley

6. Maradona’s “Goal of the Century”

7. Roberto Baggio’s Brilliance

8. Dennis Bergkamp’s Sublime Touch

Richarlison of Brazil performs a mid-air volley to score against Serbia during the FIFA World Cup 2022 Group G match at Lusail Stadium, with Serbian defenders nearby.

9. Richarlison’s Spinning Scissor Volley

Mexico's Manuel Negrete, wearing number 22, lands after scoring a dramatic scissor-kick goal against Bulgaria at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, with players and a cheering crowd in the background.

10. Manuel Negrete’s Acrobatic Classic

11. Saeed Al-Owairan’s Flying Sprint

12. Kylian Mbappé’s Magical Equalizer

Black-and-white photo of the 1950 US World Cup soccer team posing on the field before playing England, with players and staff standing and kneeling in two rows.

13. Joe Gaetjens and the “Miracle on Grass”

England goalkeeper David Seaman watches as the ball flies into the net during Brazil's winning goal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal in Shizuoka Stadium.

14. Ronaldinho’s Floated Free Kick

2026 FIFA World Cup Stars

French soccer player Kylian Mbappe, wearing jersey number 10, takes a shot on goal during the FIFA World Cup quarter final against England at Al Bayt Stadium.

Kylian Mbappé

Lionel Messi

Harry Kane

Erling Braut Haaland in a red Norway jersey celebrates a goal with one arm raised and the other by his ear during a World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands at Ullevaal Stadium.

Erling Haaland

Frances Ousmane Dembele (11) runs after the ball during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group D match against Australia at Al Janoub Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on November 22, 2022.

Ousmane Dembélé

Jude Bellingham

Cristiano Ronaldo

Lamine Yamal

Mohamed Salah

Rodri

Vinícius Júnior

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric passes the ball during the 2025 Copa del Rey final against FC Barcelona in Seville, with a red Copa del Rey banner in the background.

Luka Modrić

Neymar

Schedule and standings

The full 2026 World Cup schedule consisted of 72 matches in the group stage and 32 in the knockout stage. The opening match of the tournament between Mexico and South Africa was played on June 11 in the Mexico City Stadium. The final was held on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which was rebranded as New York New Jersey Stadium for the event in order to comply with FIFA’s corporate name policy. The group stage comprised three matchdays, or rounds, in which a team played against the other three members of its group.

The important tournament dates were as follows:

Group stage (June 11–27)

Matchday 1 (24 matches): June 11–17
Matchday 2 (24 matches): June 18–23
Matchday 3 (24 matches): June 24–27

Knockout stage (June 28–July 19)

Round of 32 (16 matches): June 28–July 3
Round of 16 (8 matches): July 4–7
Quarterfinals (4 matches): July 9–11
Semifinals (2 matches): July 14–15
Third-place match: July 18
Final: July 19

Group stage fixtures and results

The group stage matches are listed in the tables below.

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2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage (Matchday 1)
match number	date	time (Central Time)	group	fixture	venue	result
Source: FIFA.com.
1	June 11	2:00 pm	A	Mexico vs. South Africa	Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City	Mexico won 2–0
2	June 11	9:00 pm	A	South Korea vs. Czechia	Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan	South Korea won 2–1
3	June 12	2:00 pm	B	Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina	Toronto Stadium, Toronto	Match drawn 1–1
4	June 12	8:00 pm	D	United States vs. Paraguay	Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood	United States won 4–1
5	June 13	2:00 pm	B	Qatar vs. Switzerland	San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara	Match drawn 1–1
6	June 13	5:00 pm	C	Brazil vs. Morocco	New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford	Match drawn 1–1
7	June 13	8:00 pm	C	Haiti vs. Scotland	Boston Stadium, Foxborough	Scotland won 1–0
8	June 13	11:00 pm	D	Australia vs. Türkiye	BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver	Australia won 2–0
9	June 14	12:00 pm	E	Germany vs. Curaçao	Houston Stadium, Houston	Germany won 7–1
10	June 14	3:00 pm	F	Netherlands vs. Japan	Dallas Stadium, Arlington	Match drawn 2–2
11	June 14	6:00 pm	E	Côte d’Ivoire vs. Ecuador	Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia	Côte d’Ivoire won 1–0
12	June 14	9:00 pm	F	Sweden vs. Tunisia	Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe	Sweden won 5–1
13	June 15	11:00 am	H	Spain vs. Cabo Verde	Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta	Match drawn 0–0
14	June 15	2:00 pm	G	Belgium vs. Egypt	Seattle Stadium, Seattle	Match drawn 1–1
15	June 15	5:00 pm	H	Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay	Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens	Match drawn 1–1
16	June 15	8:00 pm	G	Iran vs. New Zealand	Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood	Match drawn 2–2
17	June 16	2:00 pm	I	France vs. Senegal	New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford	France won 3–1
18	June 16	5:00 pm	I	Iraq vs. Norway	Boston Stadium, Foxborough	Norway won 4–1
19	June 16	8:00 pm	J	Argentina vs. Algeria	Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City	Argentina won 3–0
20	June 16	11:00 pm	J	Austria vs. Jordan	San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara	Austria won 3–1
21	June 17	12:00 pm	K	Portugal vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)	Houston Stadium, Houston	Match drawn 1–1
22	June 17	3:00 pm	L	England vs. Croatia	Dallas Stadium, Arlington	England won 4–2
23	June 17	6:00 pm	L	Ghana vs. Panama	Toronto Stadium, Toronto	Ghana won 1–0
24	June 17	9:00 pm	K	Uzbekistan vs. Colombia	Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City	Colombia won 3–1

2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage (Matchday 2)
match number	date	time (Central Time)	group	fixture	venue	result
Source: FIFA.com.
25	June 18	11:00 am	A	Czechia vs. South Africa	Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta	Match drawn 1–1
26	June 18	2:00 pm	B	Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina	Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood	Switzerland won 4–1
27	June 18	5:00 pm	B	Canada vs. Qatar	BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver	Canada won 6–0
28	June 18	8:00 pm	A	Mexico vs. South Korea	Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan	Mexico won 1–0
29	June 19	2:00 pm	D	United States vs. Australia	Seattle Stadium, Seattle	United States won 2–0
30	June 19	5:00 pm	C	Scotland vs. Morocco	Boston Stadium, Foxborough	Morocco won 1–0
31	June 19	7:30 pm	C	Brazil vs. Haiti	Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia	Brazil won 3–0
32	June 19	10:00 pm	D	Türkiye vs. Paraguay	San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara	Paraguay won 1–0
33	June 20	12:00 pm	F	Netherlands vs. Sweden	Houston Stadium, Houston	Netherlands won 5–1
34	June 20	3:00 pm	E	Germany vs. Côte d’Ivoire	Toronto Stadium, Toronto	Germany won 2–1
35	June 20	7:00 pm	E	Ecuador vs. Curaçao	Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City	Match drawn 0–0
36	June 20	11:00 pm	F	Tunisia vs. Japan	Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe	Japan won 4–0
37	June 21	11:00 am	H	Spain vs. Saudi Arabia	Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta	Spain won 4–0
38	June 21	2:00 pm	G	Belgium vs. Iran	Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood	Match drawn 0–0
39	June 21	5:00 pm	H	Uruguay vs. Cabo Verde	Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens	Match drawn 2–2
40	June 21	8:00 pm	G	New Zealand vs. Egypt	BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver	Egypt won 3–1
41	June 22	12:00 pm	J	Argentina vs. Austria	Dallas Stadium, Arlington	Argentina won 2–0
42	June 22	4:00 pm	I	France vs. Iraq	Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia	France won 3–0
43	June 22	7:00 pm	I	Norway vs. Senegal	New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford	Norway won 3–2
44	June 22	10:00 pm	J	Jordan vs. Algeria	San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara	Algeria won 2–1
45	June 23	12:00 pm	K	Portugal vs. Uzbekistan	Houston Stadium, Houston	Portugal won 5–0
46	June 23	3:00 pm	L	England vs. Ghana	Boston Stadium, Foxborough	Match drawn 0–0
47	June 23	6:00 pm	L	Panama vs. Croatia	Toronto Stadium, Toronto	Croatia won 1–0
48	June 23	9:00 pm	K	Colombia vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)	Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan	Colombia won 1–0

2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage (Matchday 3)
match number	date	time (Central Time)	group	fixture	venue	result
Source: FIFA.com.
49	June 24	2:00 pm	B	Switzerland vs. Canada	BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver	Switzerland won 2–1
50	June 24	2:00 pm	B	Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar	Seattle Stadium, Seattle	Bosnia and Herzegovina won 3–1
51	June 24	5:00 pm	C	Scotland vs. Brazil	Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens	Brazil won 3–0
52	June 24	5:00 pm	C	Morocco vs. Haiti	Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta	Morocco won 4–2
53	June 24	8:00 pm	A	Czechia vs. Mexico	Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City	Mexico won 3–0
54	June 24	8:00 pm	A	South Africa vs. Korea Republic	Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe	South Africa won 1–0
55	June 25	3:00 pm	E	Curaçao vs. Côte d’Ivoire	Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia	Côte d’Ivoire won 2–0
56	June 25	3:00 pm	E	Ecuador vs. Germany	New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford	Ecuador won 2–1
57	June 25	6:00 pm	F	Japan vs. Sweden	Dallas Stadium, Arlington	Match drawn 1–1
58	June 25	6:00 pm	F	Tunisia vs. Netherlands	Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City	Netherlands won 3–1
59	June 25	9:00 pm	D	Türkiye vs. United States	Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood	Türkiye won 3–2
60	June 25	9:00 pm	D	Paraguay vs. Australia	San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara	Match drawn 0–0
61	June 26	2:00 pm	I	Norway vs. France	Boston Stadium, Foxborough	France won 4–1
62	June 26	2:00 pm	I	Senegal vs. Iraq	Toronto Stadium, Toronto	Senegal won 5–0
63	June 26	7:00 pm	H	Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia	Houston Stadium, Houston	Match drawn 0–0
64	June 26	7:00 pm	H	Uruguay vs. Spain	Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan	Spain won 1–0
65	June 26	10:00 pm	G	Egypt vs. Iran	Seattle Stadium, Seattle	Match drawn 1–1
66	June 26	10:00 pm	G	New Zealand vs. Belgium	BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver	Belgium won 5–1
67	June 27	4:00 pm	L	Panama vs. England	New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford	England won 2–0
68	June 27	4:00 pm	L	Croatia vs. Ghana	Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia	Croatia won 2–1
69	June 27	6:30 pm	K	Colombia vs. Portugal	Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens	Match drawn 0–0
70	June 27	6:30 pm	K	Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) vs. Uzbekistan	Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta	DRC won 3–1
71	June 27	9:00 pm	J	Algeria vs. Austria	Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City	Match drawn 3–3
72	June 27	9:00 pm	J	Jordan vs. Argentina	Dallas Stadium, Arlington	Argentina won 3–1

Group stage tiebreakers

If two or more teams in a group had the same points tally after the group stage, the ranks of the tied teams were decided based on the following records from matches played between the tied teams:

Points earned
Goal difference (differential between the total goals scored by a team and the goals scored against it)
Total goals scored

If any teams were still tied, their overall group records (goal difference, goals scored, and the number of yellow and red cards received) were used to determine positions. If the teams were still tied after those tiebreakers had been applied, their standing in the latest official men’s team world rankings were used to determine the final order.

The following criteria were applied to the group stage records in descending order of priority to determine the 8 third-place teams (out of 12 total) that advanced to the knockout stage:

Points scored
Goal difference
Total goals scored
Team conduct (based on the number of yellow and red cards issued to a team)
Latest FIFA men’s team rankings

Points tables

The points tables for all 12 groups is available below. Teams marked with (Q) next to their names advanced to the knockout stage.

Group A
position	team	played	won	drawn	lost	goals for	goals against	goal difference	team conduct score	points
1	Mexico (Q)	3	3	0	0	6	0	6	-6	9
2	South Africa (Q)	3	1	1	1	2	3	-1	-13	4
3	South Korea	3	1	0	2	2	3	-1	-4	3
4	Czech Republic	3	0	1	2	2	6	-4	-1	1

Group B
position	team	played	won	drawn	lost	goals for	goals against	goal difference	team conduct score	points
1	Switzerland (Q)	3	2	1	0	7	3	4	-3	7
2	Canada (Q)	3	1	1	1	8	3	5	-5	4
3	Bosnia and Herzegovina (Q)	3	1	1	1	5	6	-1	-10	4
4	Qatar	3	0	1	2	2	10	-8	-12	1

Group C
position	team	played	won	drawn	lost	goals for	goals against	goal difference	team conduct score	points
1	Brazil (Q)	3	2	1	0	7	1	6	-5	7
2	Morocco (Q)	3	2	1	0	6	3	3	-1	7
3	Scotland	3	1	0	2	1	4	-3	-5	3
4	Haiti	3	0	0	3	2	8	-6	-7	0

Group D
position	team	played	won	drawn	lost	goals for	goals against	goal difference	team conduct score	points
1	United States (Q)	3	2	0	1	8	4	4	-5	6
2	Australia (Q)	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	-5	4
3	Paraguay (Q)	3	1	1	1	2	4	-2	-12	4
4	Türkiye	3	1	0	2	3	5	-2	-3	3

Group E
position	team	played	won	drawn	lost	goals for	goals against	goal difference	team conduct score	points
1	Germany (Q)	3	2	0	1	10	4	6	-1	6
2	Côte d’Ivoire (Q)	3	2	0	1	4	2	2	-4	6
3	Ecuador (Q)	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	-5	4
4	Curaçao	3	0	1	2	1	9	-8	-7	1

Group F
position	team	played	won	drawn	lost	goals for	goals against	goal difference	team conduct score	points
1	Netherlands (Q)	3	2	1	0	10	4	6	-3	7
2	Japan (Q)	3	1	2	0	7	3	4	-1	5
3	Sweden (Q)	3	1	1	1	7	7	0	-5	4
4	Tunisia	3	0	0	3	2	12	-10	-1	0

Group G
position	team	played	won	drawn	lost	goals for	goals against	goal difference	team conduct score	points
1	Belgium (Q)	3	1	2	0	6	2	4	-7	5
2	Egypt (Q)	3	1	2	0	5	3	2	-6	5
3	Iran	3	0	3	0	3	3	0	-6	3
4	New Zealand	3	0	1	2	4	10	-6	-4	1

Group H
position	team	played	won	drawn	lost	goals for	goals against	goal difference	team conduct score	points
1	Spain (Q)	3	2	1	0	5	0	5	-2	7
2	Cabo Verde (Q)	3	0	3	0	2	2	0	-4	3
3	Uruguay	3	0	2	1	3	4	-1	-9	2
4	Saudi Arabia	3	0	2	1	1	5	-4	-6	2

Group I
position	team	played	won	lost	goals for	goals against	goal difference	team conduct score	points
1	France (Q)	3	3	0	10	2	8	-1	9
2	Norway (Q)	3	2	1	8	7	1	-1	6
3	Senegal (Q)	3	1	2	8	6	2	-2	3
4	Iraq	3	0	3	1	12	-11	-8	0

Group J
position	team	played	won	drawn	lost	goals for	goals against	goal difference	team conduct score	points
qualified teams are marked with (Q)
1	Argentina (Q)	3	3	0	0	8	1	7	-2	9
2	Austria (Q)	3	1	1	1	5	5	0	-4	4
3	Algeria (Q)	3	1	1	1	4	6	-2	-1	4
4	Jordan	3	0	0	3	3	8	-5	-2	0

Group K
position	team	played	won	drawn	lost	goals for	goals against	goal difference	team conduct score	points
1	Colombia (Q)	3	2	1	0	4	1	3	-4	7
2	Portugal (Q)	3	1	2	0	6	1	5	-4	5
3	Democratic Republic of the Congo (Q)	3	1	1	1	4	3	1	-5	4
4	Uzbekistan	3	0	0	3	2	11	-9	-4	0

Group L
position	team	played	won	drawn	lost	goals for	goals against	goal difference	team conduct score	points
1	England (Q)	3	2	1	0	6	2	4	-2	7
2	Croatia (Q)	3	2	0	1	5	5	0	-2	6
3	Ghana (Q)	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	-3	4
4	Panama	3	0	0	3	0	4	-4	-5	0

Knockout stage

Qualified teams for the round of 32: Mexico, United States, Germany, Argentina, France, Norway, Colombia, Switzerland, Canada, Brazil, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Australia, Spain, Cabo Verde, Paraguay, Belgium, Egypt, Senegal, England, Croatia, Ghana, Portugal, Austria, and Algeria

Teams eliminated in the group stage: Haiti, Tunisia, Türkiye, Jordan, Panama, Qatar, Czechia, Curaçao, Iraq, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Scotland, Uzbekistan, South Korea, and Iran

The knockout stage schedule is listed in the table below.

2026 FIFA World Cup Knockout Stage
match number	date	time (Central Time)	stage	fixture	venue	result
Source: FIFA.com.
73	June 28	2:00 pm	Round of 32	South Africa vs. Canada	Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood	Canada won 1–0
74	June 29	3:30 pm	Round of 32	Germany vs. Paraguay	Boston Stadium, Foxborough	Paraguay won 1–1 (4–3) on penalties
75	June 29	8:00 pm	Round of 32	Netherlands vs. Morocco	Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe	Morocco won 1–1 (3–2) on penalties
76	June 29	12:00 pm	Round of 32	Brazil vs. Japan	Houston Stadium, Houston	Brazil won 2–1
77	June 30	4:00 pm	Round of 32	France vs. Sweden	New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford	France won 3–0
78	June 30	12:00 pm	Round of 32	Côte d’Ivoire vs. Norway	Dallas Stadium, Arlington	Norway won 2–1
79	June 30	8:00 pm	Round of 32	Mexico vs. Ecuador	Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City	Mexico won 2–0
80	July 1	11:00 am	Round of 32	England vs. Democratic Republic of Congo	Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta	England won 2–1
81	July 1	7:00 pm	Round of 32	United States vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina	San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara	United States won 2–0
82	July 1	3:00 pm	Round of 32	Belgium vs. Senegal	Seattle Stadium, Seattle	Belgium won 3–2
83	July 2	6:00 pm	Round of 32	Portugal vs. Croatia	Toronto Stadium, Toronto	Portugal won 2–1
84	July 2	2:00 pm	Round of 32	Spain vs. Austria	Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood	Spain won 3–0
85	July 2	10:00 pm	Round of 32	Switzerland vs. Algeria	BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver	Switzerland won 2–0
86	July 3	5:00 pm	Round of 32	Argentina vs. Cabo Verde	Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens	Argentina won 3–2
87	July 3	8:30 pm	Round of 32	Colombia vs. Ghana	Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City	Colombia won 1–0
88	July 3	1:00 pm	Round of 32	Australia vs. Egypt	Dallas Stadium, Arlington	Egypt won 1–1 (4–2) on penalties
89	July 4	4:00 pm	Round of 16	Paraguay vs. France	Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia	France won 1–0
90	July 4	12:00 pm	Round of 16	Canada vs. Morocco	Houston Stadium, Houston	Morocco won 3–0
91	July 5	3:00 pm	Round of 16	Brazil vs. Norway	New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford	Norway won 2–1
92	July 5	7:00 pm	Round of 16	Mexico vs. England	Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City	England won 3–2
93	July 6	2:00 pm	Round of 16	Portugal vs. Spain	Dallas Stadium, Arlington	Spain won 1–0
94	July 6	7:00 pm	Round of 16	United States vs. Belgium	Seattle Stadium, Seattle	Belgium won 4–1
95	July 7	11:00 am	Round of 16	Argentina vs. Egypt	Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta	Argentina won 3–2
96	July 7	3:00 pm	Round of 16	Switzerland vs. Colombia	BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver	Switzerland won 0–0 (4–3) on penalties
97	July 9	3:00 pm	Quarterfinal	France vs. Morocco	Boston Stadium, Foxborough	France won 2–0
98	July 10	2:00 pm	Quarterfinal	Spain vs. Belgium	Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood	Spain won 2–1
99	July 11	4:00 pm	Quarterfinal	Norway vs. England	Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens	England won 2–1 after extra time
100	July 11	8:00 pm	Quarterfinal	Argentina vs. Switzerland	Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City	Argentina won 3–1 after extra time
101	July 14	2:00 pm	Semifinal	France vs. Spain	Dallas Stadium, Arlington	Spain won 2–0
102	July 15	2:00 pm	Semifinal	England vs. Argentina	Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta	Argentina won 2–1
103	July 18	4:00 pm	Third-place match	France vs. England	Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens	England won 6–4
104	July 19	2:00 pm	Final	Spain vs. Argentina	New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford	Spain won 1–0 AET

Tournament highlights

Golden Boot race: France’s Kylian Mbappé was the top scorer (10 goals) followed by Argentina’s Lionel Messi (8 goals), Norway’s Erling Haaland (7 goals), and England’s Jude Bellingham (7 goals).
The 2026 tournament featured 48 teams and 104 matches across three host countries, making it the first World Cup cohosted by three countries.
Mexico is the first country to host the men’s World Cup three times.
June 11: The World Cup opens in Mexico City.
Lionel Messi at the 2026 FIFA World CupArgentina's Lionel Messi celebrating after scoring his second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri, June 16.
June 16: Argentina’s Lionel Messi becomes the oldest player to score a World Cup hat trick.
June 20: 100th goal of the 2026 World Cup is scored by Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands in a match against Sweden. The 1,000th match in World Cup history is played between Tunisia and Japan.
June 22: Messi overtakes Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the World Cup’s all-time top goal scorer. The France vs. Iraq group stage match, delayed by more than two hours at halftime, is the first one in the tournament’s history to be interrupted by inclement weather conditions.
June 23: Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first man to score in six different World Cup editions.
July 3: Debutant Cabo Verde narrowly loses 3–2 (after extra time) to defending champion Argentina in the round of 32.
July 18: Kylian Mbappé scores a brace in the third place playoff against England, overtaking Messi as the World Cup’s all-time top scorer and leading the race for the Golden Boot. England wins the match 6–4.
July 19: The final is played at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with Spain winning the title.

Tournament final

On July 19, 2026, Spain beat Argentina 1–0 after extra time to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The finale of the largest edition of the world’s most popular football (soccer) event—in which 48 teams played more than 100 matches in 16 venues across Canada, Mexico, and the United States—crowned the world champion for the next four years. A day earlier, England won the playoff for third place against France 6–4.

Injured players

A list of players who were injured before or during the 2026 tournament can be found below. (Read: Common soccer injuries and ailments.)

Famous World Cup Injuries

Ferenc Puskás (Hungary, 1954): Injured his ankle in Hungary’s 8–3 group win over West Germany and missed the quarterfinal and semifinal.
Pelé (Brazil, 1962): Injured in the second match and missed the remainder of the tournament as Brazil retained the title.
Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany, 1970): Played in the semifinal with a dislocated shoulder in a sling after substitutions were exhausted.
Patrick Battiston (France, 1982): Knocked unconscious and suffered head, dental, and spinal trauma because of a dangerous tackle by West Germany’s Harald Schumacher in a World Cup semifinal.
Zinedine Zidane (France, 2002): Thigh injury in a friendly caused him to miss the first two group games as the defending champions exited early.
Michael Owen (England, 2006): ACL tear in a group stage match against Sweden ended his tournament.
Marco Reus (Germany, 2014): Missed Germany’s title-winning campaign after tearing his ankle ligaments in a warm-up match.
Neymar (Brazil, 2014): A fractured vertebra in the quarterfinals ended his tournament before Brazil’s 7–1 semifinal loss.
Sadio Mané (Senegal, 2022): Fibula injury ruled him out of the tournament as Senegal reached the round of 16.
Karim Benzema (France, 2022): Thigh tear during training ruled the Ballon d’Or winner out of the tournament.

Before the World Cup

Argentina

Leonardo Balerdi: Muscle injury in right leg; replaced by Marcos Senesi.

Austria

Christoph Baumgartner: Right thigh injury; replaced by Dejan Ljubičić.

Brazil

Rodrygo: ACL injury ruled him out of the World Cup.

Neymar: Sidelined for two matches because of a pretournament calf injury.

Canada

Alphonso Davies: Pretournament hamstring injury kept him out of all three group matches.

England

Tino Livramento: Calf injury in training; Trevoh Chalobah replaced him.

France

Hugo Ekitiké: Achilles rupture; Jean-Philippe Mateta replaced him.

Germany

Serge Gnabry: Thigh adductor tear prevented him from playing in the World Cup.

Ghana

Mohammed Kudus: Quadriceps injury kept him out of Ghana’s squad.

Japan

Wataru Endo: Foot injury forced him to withdraw; Shuto Machino replaced him.

Kaoru Mitoma: Hamstring injury kept him out of the World Cup squad.

Mexico

Luis Ángel Malagón: Achilles rupture; Raúl Rangel took over as Mexico’s starting goalkeeper.

Morocco

Nayef Aguerd: Groin problem; Marwane Saadane replaced him.

Abde Ezzalzouli: Knee injury; Amine Sbai replaced him.

Netherlands

Xavi Simons: ACL injury ruled him out.

Jurriën Timber: Groin injury; Lutsharel Geertruida replaced him.

Scotland

Billy Gilmour: Knee injury; Tyler Fletcher replaced him.

Spain

Lamine Yamal: Hamstring issue left him out of the starting lineup for Spain’s opening match; came on in the second half.

Uruguay

Ronald Araújo: Calf injury ruled him out of the group stage.

During the World Cup

Brazil

Raphinha: Hamstring injury in the match against Haiti.

Canada

Ismaël Koné: Broke his leg while playing against Qatar.

Germany

Nico Schlotterbeck: Ankle ligament injury against Côte d’Ivoire ended his campaign.

United States

Christian Pulisic: Calf injury in the match against Paraguay.

2026 World Cup Rule Changes

In February 2026 the International Football Association Board (IFAB), a FIFA-affiliated body that determines the game’s laws, ratified special rule changes as well as measures aimed at penalizing time-wasting by players during football matches. These changes were applied for the first time in official competitions at the 2026 World Cup, and include:

Faster throw-ins and goal kicks: At their discretion referees can initiate a five-second countdown through an on-field signal to limit delays from throw-ins and goal kicks after the ball has gone out of play. If the count ends without play having resumed, the officials will award a throw-in or a corner kick, respectively, to the opposing team.
Quicker substitutions: A substituted player must leave the field within 10 seconds of the substitution being indicated either from off the field or through a referee’s signal. If the player being substituted fails to leave the field within the time limit, the replacement must wait to enter until the next stoppage after one minute of play has passed.
Medical assessment: During a match a player who receives a medical assessment on the field that causes an interruption in play must leave the field and cannot return to the pitch until at least one minute after play resumes. The new rule does not apply if the injury is caused because of a foul punishable by a card, or if a goalkeeper is hurt.
Expanded VAR role: The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will review any obvious errors made by on-field officials in issuing a second yellow card that leads to a red card, in cases of mistaken identity while applying penalties, and in overturning corner kicks that were mistakenly awarded if the review does not cause a delay in gameplay.
Yellow card amnesty: According to FIFA rules, players who accumulate two yellow cards across separate matches in a tournament must serve an immediate one-match suspension. In previous FIFA competitions, the yellow card count was reset after the quarterfinals to prevent players from missing the final because of a second yellow card picked up in the semifinals. At the 2026 World Cup, players’ yellow card tallies will reset at the end of the group stage as well because of the increased number of matches and teams. Players will still serve a one-match suspension if they collect two yellow cards during the three group stage matches or across the knockout rounds through the quarterfinals.
New red card offenses: The updated provisions permit referees, at the competition organizer’s discretion, to show a red card to players who cover their mouths while confronting opponents on the field or sidelines during matches. The rule was passed to prevent the concealment of discriminatory, racist, and abusive language during such encounters. On June 19, 2026, Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron became the first player to be sent off for this particular offense in a Group D match against Türkiye. Red cards can also be shown to players who leave the field of play to protest against refereeing decisions, and to any team officials who encourage such walk-offs. The IFAB also stated that a team that causes a match to be abandoned prematurely “would, in principle, forfeit.”

Controversies

FIFA Peace Prize

In November 2025 FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the establishment of the FIFA Peace Prize, which is awarded annually to “individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace.” He presented the inaugural prize to U.S. Pres. Donald Trump during the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage draw in December 2025.

Several notable developments and controversies surrounded the 2026 World Cup, both on and off the field. Italy, a four-time champion, failed to qualify for a third straight time, making it the only former winner that will not be part of the tournament. Iran’s participation was politicized amid the conflict with Israel and the United States, while diplomatic disputes, criticism over ticket pricing, and security concerns added to the uncertainty surrounding the tournament. The U.S. government’s aggressive anti-immigration policies also impacted the tournament, with visas being denied or delayed. Somali referee Omar Artan, who was scheduled to officiate at the World Cup, was refused entry in the U.S. despite holding a valid visa. Learn more about the major controversies below.

Tension over Iran

In a Truth Social post, U.S. Pres. Donald Trump said the Iranian national team was welcome at the World Cup but added that he did not think it was appropriate for the members to be there “for their own life and safety.” Paolo Zampolli, a U.S. special envoy and Trump ally, proposed that Italy could potentially replace Iran, which was emphatically rejected by FIFA, the Italian authorities, and fans. In March 2026 Iran unsuccessfully tried to get FIFA to move its matches to Mexico, after which Iran relocated its training base for the tournament from Arizona, U.S., to Tijuana, Mexico. During the tournament, the team traveled back to Tijuana on the same day it played its scheduled matches in the U.S.

Inflated ticket prices

Overpriced tickets and increased travel costs for matches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico became some of the most visible controversies ahead of the tournament. In May 2026 the attorneys general of New York, New Jersey, and California subpoenaed FIFA as part of an investigation into ticketing practices for matches at the New York New Jersey Stadium, including the final. In June authorities in Texas also opened an investigation. Concerns included allegations that fans may have been misled about seat locations, that ticket categories were changed after purchase, and that artificial scarcity was implied to push prices higher.

Weather and extreme heat risks

Several host cities in the United States, such as Dallas, Houston, Miami, Kansas City, and New York/New Jersey, as well as Monterrey, Mexico, are known for their summer heat and humidity, which could pose challenges, especially in open-air venues. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was played in November and December to avoid the soaring summer temperatures in the region. During the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which was also played in the United States, players and coaches had complained about the physical toll of the extreme heat and the risk to players’ health. In December 2025 FIFA announced mandatory three-minute hydration breaks in each half of every match, regardless of weather conditions. Critics argued for more extensive measures, including later kickoff times, shaded fan areas, cooling stations, and flexible scheduling based on match-day weather conditions. Severe thunderstorms also caused match delays. The halftime break during the France vs. Iraq group-stage match lasted 130 minutes because of mandatory safety measures triggered by a thunderstorm. The start of the England vs. Mexico round of 16 match was delayed by an hour because of a severe storm.

Travel bans

In June 2025 Trump issued a proclamation to restrict people from several countries that had qualified for the World Cup, including Iran and Haiti, from entering the country. Although the ban included an exemption for athletes, coaches, support staff, and immediate relatives traveling for the World Cup, the Olympics, or other major sporting events, football fans from affected countries faced significant hurdles and uncertainty. A later proclamation in December 2025 expanded the restrictions to include Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, both of which had qualified for the tournament. In May 2026 all three hosts restricted the entry of travelers from countries affected by an Ebola virus outbreak, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In June 2026 the Canadian government refused to grant Ghana’s Thomas Partey an entry visa because of the criminal charges for rape and sexual assault filed against the player in the United Kingdom.

Other controversies

The expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams and from 64 to 104 matches drew criticism from player unions about the increased player workload. FIFPRO, the representative body for footballers, and the Professional Footballers’ Association argued that many players were being asked to perform through successive summers without adequate offseason or preseason recovery, increasing the risk of injury, burnout, reduced performance, and mental fatigue.
Critics argued that the addition of a halftime show, with performers including Madonna, Shakira, and BTS, during the World Cup final represented “Americanization” and commercialization of the event and risked disrupting the rhythm of the match. They also raised questions about whether the standard 15-minute halftime interval could accommodate a large stage production without affecting the teams, the pitch, or the broadcasters.
Seattle’s World Cup organizing committee designated the Egypt vs. Iran group-stage fixture as a special event to celebrate LGBTQIA+ communities in Washington state. In December 2025 both countries, whose laws and social policies restrict gay rights, lodged complaints with FIFA against the program. The Seattle organizing committee later clarified that none of the LGBTQIA+-related events would be held at the match venue.
Ahead of the United States vs. Belgium round of 16 match, FIFA announced that it was rescinding the suspension against American forward Folarin Balogun. Balogun was to serve a one-match ban after being shown a straight red card during the United States vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina round of 32 clash. U.S. Pres. Donald Trump posted a message on Truth Social thanking FIFA for its decision and also confirmed in a press conference that he had called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for the organization to review Balogun’s suspension. The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA; organization administering football in Belgium) criticized the reversal, arguing that FIFA’s own disciplinary statutes did not allow suspensions because of straight red cards to be appealed.
Following France’s victory against Paraguay in the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla, a member of the country’s opposition party, posted a series of racially offensive remarks on social media targeting French player Kylian Mbappé’s race, heritage, appearance, and national identity. Mbappé responded with his own post in which he described Amarilla as “despicable” and her remarks as having overshadowed Paraguay’s impressive World Cup campaign. Amarilla’s comments were condemned by the French Football Federation (FFF), the Paraguayan government, French political leaders, and anti-racism advocates. The FFF also filed a legal complaint against her. Amarilla later deleted some of her posts but refused to apologize to Mbappé, instead claiming that the footballer owed her an apology for his retaliatory comments.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) came under scrutiny following a string of controversial decisions in matches involving several countries, particularly Argentina and Portugal. For instance, in a round of 16 match, Argentina came back from a 2–0 deficit to defeat Egypt 3–2. The VAR’s decision to grant Argentina a penalty, along with several other refereeing decisions, drew heavy criticism. Some Egyptian players and staff members even suggested that the match had been influenced unfairly in Argentina’s favor. Similar VAR controversies were also seen in matches between Argentina and Austria, Portugal and Croatia, Germany and Paraguay, and Egypt and Iran.

Choosing tournament locations

FIFA awarded North America the 2026 World Cup in 2018 over Morocco by a vote of 134–65. The North American bid, often called the United bid, highlighted that the three countries had 23 already constructed stadiums that could be used during the tournament. The bid also promised that the hosts had the infrastructure—including hotels, training sites, and transportation facilities—needed to handle players and fans. During the evaluation of the risk each bid presented, FIFA gave Morocco 3 high-, 10 medium-, and 7 low-risk grades. The organization gave the United bid 17 low- and 3 medium-risk grades. The winning bid also claimed that a World Cup in North America could generate $11 billion in profits for FIFA—more than double what Morocco projected—which could translate to each national association receiving tens of millions of dollars in funds for development. Some felt that the prospect of greater profits ultimately made FIFA’s decision. Moroccan official Moncef Belkhayat criticized North America for basing its bid “on dollars, on profit, while Morocco [was] offering an offer that is based on passion for football.” The decision marked the fifth time that the North African nation had failed to land the World Cup.

The 16 host cities were selected from the 23 potential locations in the United bid’s initial proposal. Cities were selected with logistics and travel in mind. Some cities, such as Chicago, voluntarily withdrew from consideration due to the costs associated with preparing for and hosting such an event. FIFA created three regions (eastern, central, and western) in order to organize where different teams would play and prevent fans and players from having to travel long distances.

Same stadiums, new names

Because of FIFA’s policy against using non-sponsor corporate names, most of the host stadiums were rebranded for the tournament. Below are the names that were used in the World Cup and what those stadiums are usually called.

Stadiums with Changed Names
name for the 2026 World Cup	usual stadium name
Atlanta Stadium	Mercedes-Benz Stadium
BC Place Vancouver	BC Place
Boston Stadium	Gillette Stadium
Dallas Stadium	AT&T Stadium
Mexico City Stadium	Estadio Banorte (formerly Estadio Azteca)
Estadio Guadalajara	Estadio Akron
Estadio Monterrey	Estadio BBVA
Houston Stadium	NRG Stadium
Kansas City Stadium	GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Los Angeles Stadium	SoFi Stadium
Miami Stadium	Hard Rock Stadium
New York New Jersey Stadium	MetLife Stadium
Philadelphia Stadium	Lincoln Financial Field
San Francisco Bay Area Stadium	Levi’s Stadium
Seattle Stadium	Lumen Field
Toronto Stadium	BMO Field

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Teams and format

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Final draw

Schedule and standings

Group stage fixtures and results

Group stage tiebreakers

Points tables

Knockout stage

Tournament highlights

Tournament final

Injured players

Before the World Cup

Argentina

Austria

Brazil

Canada

England

France

Germany

Ghana

Japan

Mexico

Morocco

Netherlands

Scotland

Spain

Uruguay

During the World Cup

Brazil

Canada

Germany

United States

2026 World Cup Rule Changes

Controversies

Tension over Iran

Inflated ticket prices

Weather and extreme heat risks

Travel bans

Other controversies

Choosing tournament locations

Same stadiums, new names

Discover more