- When is the 2026 World Cup?
- Where is it being played?
- What about Chicago?
- What stadiums are they using for World Cup games?
- Who runs the World Cup games in each city?
- What teams have qualified for the World Cup?
- How do I buy tickets?
- Where can I watch the World Cup on TV in the United States?
- Is there a mascot for the 2026 World Cup?
- When do we find out who is on the team?
- What does the winning team get?
- Is there a host country advantage at the World Cup?
- Who will the USA play at the World Cup?
- Does the USA already know where it will play?
- How far does the USMNT normally get at the World Cup?
- What is different about this World Cup?
- Who is hosting the 2026 World Cup final?
- What would the USA’s route through the World Cup look like?
- When is the next Women’s World Cup?
- If I’m completely new to soccer, what do I need to know?
When is the 2026 World Cup?
June 11, 2026 through July 19, 2026.
Where is it being played?
Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with the USA hosting most of the games. Toronto and Vancouver are the Canadian host cities. Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey are the host cities in Mexico. For the USA, it’s Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay, and Seattle.
What about Chicago?
Chicago opted not to bid as a World Cup host city.
What stadiums are they using for World Cup games?
Here’s a table of the stadiums that will be used for the 2026 World Cup. There is a column in that table with the names FIFA is using for the World Cup stadiums. To make it easier for North American fans already familiar with the names of stadiums, we will be using the official name of the stadiums.
Who runs the World Cup games in each city?
Here’s a table of the local organizing committees.
What teams have qualified for the World Cup?
Along with the three host nations, here are the rest of the teams that have made it to the party in 2026. Teams will continue to play confederation qualifiers and inter-confederation playoffs with the final qualifiers completed by the end of March 2026. Along with the three co-hosts, Concacaf, the region that covers North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, will directly qualify three more teams and send two to the inter-confederation playoffs.
How do I buy tickets?
Ticket information is available at FIFA’s official 2026 World Cup site.
Where can I watch the World Cup on TV in the United States?
FOX has the English-language rights and NBC/Universal has the Spanish-language rights.
Is there a mascot for the 2026 World Cup?
Yes, there are three of them: goalkeeper Maple the Moose for Canada, striker Zayu the Jaguar for Mexico, and midfielder Clutch the Bald Eagle for the USA.
When do we find out who is on the team?
We don’t yet know. FIFA will announce a preliminary roster date and a final roster date.
What does the winning team get?
The Jules Rimet trophy and a considerable amount of prize money. FIFA determines the prize money for the World Cup, and we will update this section when that’s made official. Here is a table of World Cup winners.
Is there a host country advantage at the World Cup?
Host country advantage is different in 2026 with three co-hosts, but the last time the host country won was France in 1998. They were the sixth host nation to win, going back to hosts Uruguay winning the first World Cup in 1930. No Concacaf country has ever advanced to a World Cup final, though the United States finished 3rd in 1930 and is the only Concacaf nation to advance to the semifinals. While Europe (UEFA) and South America (CONMEBOL) are the only parts of the world to make it to the final, South Korea (AFC – Asia) finished 4th in 2002 and Morocco (CAF – Africa) finished 4th in 2022.
Who will the USA play at the World Cup?
We’ll learn that at the World Cup draw, set to take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on December 5, 2025.
Does the USA already know where it will play?
Yes. The USA’s group stage games will all take place on the West Coast. Though we have to wait for the draw to learn the opponents, the USMNT will open group play on June 12, 2026 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, move to Lumen Field in Seattle for their second game on June 19, and then return to SoFI Stadium in LA for their group stage finale on June 25.
How far does the USMNT normally get at the World Cup?
They normally get out of the group. In previous World Cups, that meant advancing to the round of 16. In the 2026 World Cup, that would mean advancing to the round of 32. Here is a table of the USMNT’s World Cup finishes.
What is different about this World Cup?
Aside from having three nations co-hosting, there are more spots available in this World Cup, increasing to 48 from 32. That means the group stage will advance 32 teams to the new round of 32 that now begins the knockout phase of the tournament, then the round of 16, then the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final. All World Cup knockout rounds are single games and there is a 3rd-place game.
Who is hosting the 2026 World Cup final?
New York/New Jersey, with the final set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium. AT&T Stadium outside of Dallas hosts the first semifinal on July 14 with Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosting the other semifinal on July 15. The quarterfinals are July 9 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, SoFi Stadium on July 10, Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on July 11, and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City also on July 11. Mexico City hosts a quarterfinal at the Estadio Banorte (formerly the Estadio Azteca) on July 5 and Vancouver’s BC Place will also host a quarterfinal on July 7.
What would the USA’s route through the World Cup look like?
The USMNT is already drawn into group D. If they win the group, they advance to play the 3rd-place team from group B, E, F, I, or J at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA on July 1. win that round of 32 game, and they advance to play the winner of group G vs 3rd-place from B, E, F, I, or J in Seattle on July 6. That winner advances to the quarterfinal at SoFi Stadium on July 10 and the semifinal at AT&T Stadium outside of Dallas on July 14.
If the USA finishes 2nd in group D, they would play the group G runner-up at AT&T Stadium on July 3. That winner advances to the round of 16 game in Atlanta in July 7, the July 11 quarterfinal in Kansas City, and the July 15 semifinal in Atlanta.
Should the USA advance in 3rd-place out of group D, they would be ranked against the other 3rd-place group finishers to determine their spot in the round of 32. The group D 3rd-place finisher can only advance to the round of 32 games at Gillette Stadium on June 29, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on June 30, or Arrowhead Stadium on July 3.
When is the next Women’s World Cup?
Brazil hosts the Women’s World Cup from June 24 through July 25, 2027.
If I’m completely new to soccer, what do I need to know?
Here are two pages that will help you get comfortable with the game and its terms.
