2026 World Cup: check opening and final dates in the USA, Canada and Mexico

The 2026 Copa Mundo begins on June 11th. The tournament ends on July 19th. The historic edition will be the first to be held in three countries at the same time. México, Estados Unidos and Canadá share the venues for 104 games with 48 teams.

Estádio Azteca, in México’s Cidade, hosts the opening game. The final is scheduled for MetLife Stadium, in the region of Nova York and Nova Jersey. The third place match takes place on Hard Rock Stadium, on Miami, the day before.

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Abertura on Azteca with México on the field

México faces Sul’s África in the opening match. The duel is scheduled for 1pm local time on June 11th. The stadium has hosted previous Copas openings. Agora makes history as the first to receive three debut games.

The choice reinforces the country’s weight as host. The Azteca is in the Cidade of the México. Local Equipes prepare the structure to receive fans from various continents. FIFA confirmed the full calendar at the end of March.

• México x África of Sul (Cidade of México, 11/06)
• Outros first round games follow on Guadalajara, Toronto and Los Angeles
• Cerimônias opening takes place in the three countries in the first few days

Final on MetLife Stadium after 39 days of competition

The decisive game takes place on July 19th. The stadium is in the metropolitan region of Nova York. The finalist teams compete for the title after eight matches each in the new format.

Third place will be defined on July 18th in Miami. The tournament lasts 39 days. São 16 host cities in total. Onze are in Estados Unidos, three in México and two in Canadá.

Formato with 48 selections and 12 groups

The tournament expands the number of teams. Doze groups of four teams each form the first phase. The top two in each group plus the eight best third-place teams advance to the round of 16.

Esse drawing requires more games. The finalist plays eight times. Na Copa of 2022, in Catar, there were seven. Change increases physical exhaustion and opportunities for surprise.

Seleções as well as Brasil, Argentina, França and Alemanha already appear in the initial calendar. The group draw defined direct confrontations in the first rounds.

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Sedes distributed among the three countries

Os Estados Unidos concentrate most of the matches. Cidades as well as Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas and Atlanta receive multiple games. Canadá uses Toronto and Vancouver. México relies on Cidade from México, Guadalajara and Monterrey.

Cada headquarters has prepared specific renovations or constructions. Estádios expands capacity and infrastructure. The focus includes transportation and security for international fans.

Impacto expected in world football

The 2026 edition marks the return of Copa to América from Norte after 1994. The last time was only in Estados Unidos. Agora the event takes on a continental scale.

The times were adjusted considering different time zones. Jogos group stage starts in June. The knockout stage continues until mid-July.

The full calendar is available on the FIFA website. Torcedores can plan trips in advance. Ingressos continues to be sold.

Detalhes from the first round

The second opening match takes place on June 12th. Canadá faces Bósnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. On the same day, Estados Unidos plays against Paraguai in Los Angeles.

Brasil debuts on June 13th against Marrocos, in Nova York. Outros duels involve European and Asian powers. The program balances attractions in the three countries from the beginning.

The group stage runs until June 27th. Depois comes the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and decision. Third place closes the tournament before the final.