A tunnel leads to the pitch at Arrowhead Stadium as it is transformed to Kansas City Stadium ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer tournament June 8, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. Charlie Riedel/AP Photo
The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway on Thursday as national teams from across the world gather in North America for football’s biggest tournament.
This year’s competition is the largest World Cup ever, with 48 countries taking part, up from 32 teams at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. The matches will be played across the United States, Canada and Mexico over a period of 39 days.
The opening match will see hosts Mexico face South Africa at the famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. An opening ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. local time before kickoff at 3 p.m.
A total of 104 matches will be played during the tournament as teams battle for a place in the final on July 19.
Defending champions Argentina arrive in North America hoping to keep hold of the trophy they won in Qatar. Led by Lionel Messi, Argentina enters the tournament as FIFA’s top-ranked team.
The United States will begin its campaign on June 12 when it faces Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in California. The American team has been placed in Group D alongside Australia, Paraguay and Turkey.
Teams were divided into 12 groups, labeled A to L, during the World Cup draw held in December. Every team will play three group-stage matches, facing each opponent in its group once.
The top two teams from each group will automatically move on to the knockout stage. They will be joined by the eight best third-placed teams, while the remaining nations will be eliminated from the competition.
The expanded format means 32 teams will advance to the knockout rounds. From that stage onward, matches will be decided on a winner-takes-all basis. If a knockout match is tied after normal time, teams will play 30 minutes of extra time before a penalty shootout if needed.
The round of 16 is scheduled for July 4 to July 7, while the quarterfinals begin on July 9. Semifinal matches will be played on July 14 in Arlington, Texas, and July 15 in Atlanta.
Several major American cities will host matches during the tournament, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle, the San Francisco Bay Area and the New York-New Jersey area.
The tournament will end on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will be known during the competition as New York New Jersey Stadium.
While Argentina enters as the defending champion and FIFA’s highest-ranked team, other leading contenders include Spain, France, England and Portugal.
According to the latest expert power rankings released by ESPN, Spain is considered the team to watch heading into the tournament, with 18-year-old star Lamine Yamal expected to play a key role in the country’s title challenge.
With more teams, more matches and three host nations, the 2026 World Cup is set to be one of the biggest sporting events ever staged, bringing together football fans from around the world for a month of competition and celebration.
By: Evelyn Mae Thompson