When is the next World Cup?

The countdown to the world's biggest football event has begun, with less than 300 days to go until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament will kick off on Thursday, 11 June 2026, and promises to be historic as it will be the first to feature 48 teams.

This global spectacle will see matches played across three host nations: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. This will be the first time in history that the World Cup is jointly hosted by three countries, and the final is pencilled in for Sunday, 19 July at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Whether you plan to travel to the host cities or watch from home, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be one of the most exciting sporting events in recent history. With less than a year to go, this post provides all the details on when, where, and who will be involved.

When is the next World Cup? Dates, hosts, format, teams

The next World Cup is set to take place in 2026. Unlike the Qatar World Cup in 2022, the tournament is set to be played during the summer with the first match scheduled for June and the final pencilled in for July. Qatar was the first World Cup that was played in the winter, but it might not be the last, with Saudi Arabia the favourites to host the 2034 edition of the tournament.

World Cup 2026 hosts

The 2026 World Cup is the first FIFA World Cup in history to have three separate hosts, with Mexico, the USA, and Canada all set to host. The only other World Cup to have multiple hosts was the 2002 tournament, which was split between Japan and South Korea, marking the first World Cup to be held in Asia.

Both of these tournaments will be trumped by the 2030 World Cup, which will see games played in six countries across three continents to mark the 100th anniversary of the World Cup.

The host cities and stadiums for the 2026 World Cup have already been announced. The USA are set to take the bulk of the matches, while just five cities and stadiums have been selected across Mexico and Canada. The full list is as follows:

Mexico

Guadalajara – Estadio Akron
Mexico City – Estadio Azteca
Monterrey – Estadio BBVA

Canada

Toronto – BMO Field
Vancouver – BC Place Vancouver

USA

Atlanta – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Boston – Gillette Stadium
Dallas – AT&T Stadium
Houston – NRG Stadium
Kansas City – Arrowhead Stadium
Los Angeles – SoFi Stadium
Miami – Hard Rock Stadium
New York – MetLife Stadium
Philadelphia – Lincoln Financial Field
San Francisco – Levi's Stadium
Seattle – Lumen Field

The MetLife Stadium has been confirmed as the host stadium for the World Cup final in July 2026 – Photo by Icon Sport

World Cup 2026 format

The format for the 2026 World Cup will be completely different from all previous World Cups. The tournament is being expanded from 32 to 48 teams, which means there will now be 104 games played instead of the 64 that were played in Qatar.

The 48 nations will be split into 12 groups of four, with the top two qualifying for the first knockout round as normal. The eight best third-placed teams will also qualify for the first knockout round, which is set to be a round of 32 as opposed to a round of 16.

This extra round means that teams will have to now win four knockout round matches to progress through to the World Cup final, making this the most difficult World Cup to win of all time. To win the tournament, the winning nation will have to play eight matches across the group stages and knockout rounds.

The official bracket tournament will be revealed upon completion of the draw once all 48 teams have qualified. It is expected that there will still be incentives for teams to finish top of their group, like in previous World Cups.