World Cup 2026 to begin at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium with final in New Jersey

The 2026 World Cup will kick off Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on June 11, with the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey 38 days later, governing physique Fifa has introduced.

The showpiece occasion, which can be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will contain 48 groups for the primary time.

Mexico hosted the finals alone in each 1970, when Brazil lifted the trophy, and in 1986 – when Diego Maradona guided Argentina to success after scoring his ‘Hand of God’ aim in opposition to England in the quarter-finals.

Fifa later confirmed the 2026 final will happen at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New York on July 19, which can see the match final a document whole 39 days. The third-place play-off can be hosted in Miami.

Canada’s first sport can be held in Toronto on June 12, whereas the USA’s opening match can be performed in Los Angeles on the identical day.

There can be a complete of 16 host cities, together with Monterrey and Guadalajara elsewhere in Mexico.

Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle had all been named as the opposite host cities in the US, with Vancouver the opposite venue in Canada.

The 2014 and 2018 finals lasted 32 days, as did France in 1998. FIFA had already stated the 2026 match would have the identical 56-day general ‘footprint’ of relaxation, launch and match days because the three most up-to-date summer season finals.

The 2026 World Cup will function 12 four-team teams and likewise a last-32 knockout spherical for the primary time. In all, the brand new format will contain 104 matches being performed.

Winners and runners-up in every of the 12 four-team teams will advance to a brand new spherical of 32, the place they are going to be joined by the eight finest third-placed groups.

The sport’s international governing physique had ditched plans for 16 three-team teams, acknowledging the “risk of collusion” in that format whereas additionally having been persuaded to stick with four-team teams after the drama which unfolded at the tip of the group part at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which was the final match to function 32 groups.