These are the most important things you should know about the FIFA World Cup format in North America in 2026, with host countries the United States, Canada and Mexico. In a nutshell:
- The tournament to be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico will be the 23rd men’s football FIFA World Cup
- For the first time ever, the football World Cup will be held in three host countries
- There are a total of sixteen host cities
with 23 Candidate Host Cities currently(update June 16, 2022) - A record number of 48 countries will participate in the finals
- The World Cup will be held in the summer of 2026, with exact match dates to follow
- The qualification period in the six FIFA Zones will run from 2023 to 2025
- The 2026 World Cup in North America be held in three time zones
- A total of 104 matches are scheduled
- The group stage starts with twelve groups of four countries
- This will be followed by the knock-outs, starting from the round of 32
- The World Cup final in 2026 will be held in the MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey (subject to change) on Sunday, July 19, 2026
