2026 FIFA World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be a big soccer tournament with teams from many countries. It will happen from June 11 to July 19, 2026, in sixteen cities across three countries: the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This will be the first time the World Cup is hosted by three nations and will have 48 teams instead of 32.

Host Cities

The tournament will take place in eleven cities in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. Some of the stadiums will change their artificial turf to grass for the event. The final match will be at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Teams

Canada, Mexico, and the United States qualified automatically as host nations. Other teams will qualify through special playoffs. Some teams will join for the first time, like Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan.

Opening Ceremonies

The World Cup will have three opening ceremonies, one for each host country. The ceremony in Mexico will be on June 11, 2026, at Estadio Banorte. It will include performances by Mexican rock band Maná, singers Alejandro Fernández and Belinda, and the cumbia band Los Ángeles Azules, along with South African singer Tyla. Canada’s ceremony will be on June 12, 2026, at BMO Field in Toronto. It will feature Canadian singers Michael Bublé, Alanis Morissette, and Alessia Cara. The same day, the United States’ ceremony will happen at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles with performances by American singer Katy Perry, rapper Future, and artists including Bangladeshi-American DJ Sanjoy, Thai rapper and Blackpink member Lisa, and Paraguayan artist Marilina Bogado.

Match Schedule

The first match will be between Mexico and South Africa on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Canada’s first match will be on June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto, and the United States’ first match will also be on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas will host the most matches, with nine games. The final will be at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19.

Symbols

The official mascots of the tournament are Maple, Zayu, and Clutch. Maple is a moose, Zayu is a jaguar, and Clutch is a bald eagle. They represent Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The match ball is called Adidas Trionda and has colors red, green, and blue—the colors of the three host countries. It also has a white wave joining these colors and symbols from each country: a maple leaf for Canada, a golden eagle for Mexico, and a five-pointed star for the United States.

The tournament will have many exciting matches and celebrations, showing the best of soccer and the cultures of the host countries.