The kickoff of the biggest football tournament on the planet is scheduled for June 11th, a Thursday, when the Mexican team hosts the South African team at the legendary Azteca Stadium, located in the country’s capital. This competition will go down in history for presenting an unprecedented format that brings together 48 nations competing in a total of 104 matches, distributed in 16 arenas spread across the territories of the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the grand final scheduled for July 19th.
With the increase in the number of participants, which jumps from the traditional 32 to 48 teams, the sport’s highest entity organized the initial stage into 12 groups containing four countries each. To advance to the knockout stage, which begins on June 28th with the round of 16 phase, the top two teams from each group guarantee a direct place, joining the eight third-placed teams that present the best overall performance in the first phase.
Television and digital transmission options in the United States
Fans following the event in the United States will have different alternatives to tune in to the matches, with English-language coverage provided by the Fox and FS1 channels, in addition to the Fox One digital platform. Hispanic audiences will be able to watch the duels on the Telemundo and Universo channels, or through the Peacock streaming service, with the clash times varying between noon and midnight according to the East Coast time zone (ET), adapting to the vast North American territory.
Cities and arenas chosen to host the world tournament
Most of the clashes will take place on American soil, which has state-of-the-art sports complexes available.
- Inglewood, home to SoFi Stadium
- Santa Clara, with Levi’s Stadium
- East Rutherford, hosting games at MetLife Stadium
- Foxborough, via Gillette Stadium
- Houston, using NRG Stadium
- Arlington, with the AT&T Stadium structure
- Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field
- Atlanta, highlighting Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- Seattle, on the lawn of Lumen Field
- Miami, with the Hard Rock Stadium facilities
- Kansas City, at the traditional Arrowhead Stadium
The Canadian territory will also play a fundamental role in organizing the event, offering two important sporting venues.
- Toronto, with matches held at BMO Field
- Vancouver, making BC Place available
Completing the trio of hosts, the Mexican nation prepared three emblematic stages to welcome international delegations.
- Mexico City, with the historic Azteca Stadium
- Zapopan, featuring the modern Akron Stadium
- Guadeloupe, through the BBVA Stadium
Distribution of selections in the first phase brackets
- Group A: Composed of Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and Czechia
- Group B: Formed by Canada, Switzerland, Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Group C: Integrating Haiti, Morocco, Scotland and the Brazilian team
- Group D: Including the United States, Australia, Paraguay and Türkiye
- Group E: Bringing together Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curaçao
- Group F: Grouping Netherlands, Sweden, Tunisia and Japan
- Group G: With Belgium, Iran, Egypt and New Zealand
- Group H: With the presence of Spain, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Cape Verde
- Group I: Bringing together France, Iraq, Norway and Senegal
- Group J: Formed by Algeria, Austria, Jordan and Argentina
- Group K: Containing Democratic Republic of Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia and Portugal
- Group L: Ending with England, Ghana, Croatia and Panama
Detailed schedule of the opening rounds of the competition
The first day of competitions, scheduled for Thursday, June 11th, will bring the initial emotions of the championship.
- Mexico against South Africa, valid for Group A, at 3pm (ET time), airing on Fox and Telemundo
- South Korea facing Czechia, also in Group A, at 10pm ET, broadcast on FS1 and Telemundo
The schedule of clashes continues intensely on Friday, June 12th, marking the second day of the ball rolling.
- Canada taking on Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B, at 3pm (ET time), on Fox and Telemundo channels
- United States facing Paraguay in Group D, starting at 9pm (ET time), via Fox and Telemundo
The first weekend of the tournament, on Saturday, June 13th, features the debut of the Brazilian team and other decisive clashes.
- Qatar playing against Switzerland in Group B, at 3pm (ET time), on Fox and Telemundo
- Brazil debuting against Morocco in Group C, at 6pm (ET time), with coverage on FS1 and Telemundo
- Haiti competing for points with Scotland, completing Group C, at 9pm (ET time), also on FS1 and Telemundo
A true football marathon awaits fans on Sunday, June 14, with five matches taking place on the pitch.
- Australia and Türkiye open the night in Group D, at midnight (ET time), via FS1 and Telemundo
- Germany begins its campaign against Curaçao in Group E, at 1pm (ET), on Fox and Telemundo
- Netherlands takes the field against Japan in Group F, at 4pm (ET time), broadcast on Fox and Telemundo
- Ivory Coast and Ecuador meet in Group E, at 7pm (ET time), on FS1 and Telemundo channels
- Sweden closes out the night against Tunisia in Group F, at 10pm ET, on FS1 and Telemundo
Monday, June 15th, continues the fast pace of the group stage with four games scheduled for the fifth day.
- Spain duels with Cape Verde for Group H, at noon (ET time), with images from Fox and Telemundo
- Belgium and Egypt meet in Group G at 3pm ET on Fox and Telemundo
- Saudi Arabia challenges Uruguay in Group H, at 6pm ET, via FS1 and Telemundo
- Iran and New Zealand close out the Group G round at 9pm ET, broadcast on FS1 and Telemundo
Closing the first wave of detailed broadcasts, Tuesday, June 16th, brings the current runners-up and world champions to the field.
- France begins title quest against Senegal in Group I, at 3pm ET, on Fox and Telemundo
- Iraq and Norway complete the Group I bracket, at 6 pm (ET time), on Fox and Telemundo channels
- Argentina defends its crown against Algeria in Group J, at 9 p.m. (ET), broadcast on Fox and Telemundo
The rest of the schedule involving all the qualifying stage brackets will continue to be updated and officially published by the organizers as the sporting event approaches.
The historical weight and curiosities behind the inaugural match
The clash between the Mexican team and the South African team brings a remarkable coincidence, as it repeats exactly the same match that opened the 2010 World Cup, held on the African continent. In addition to this reunion, the Azteca Stadium consolidates its status as a temple of world football by becoming the first arena on the planet to host three World Cup opening ceremonies, a sacred stage where legends such as Pelé, in 1970, and Diego Maradona, in 1986, lifted the cup and immortalized their names in the history of the sport.
