Next year, the biggest tournament in the entire world is set to begin in a warm and fantastic summer. It will be stationed in North America among the three biggest countries within the continent. If you plan on attending the 2026 World Cup or watching it from home, here's everything you need to know about the game before watching.

Quick Overview

• The 2026 World Cup will begin on June 11th and will end on July 19th.
• This is the first ever World Cup to have the most teams with 48 teams participating.
• This is the first World Cup since 1994 to include the United States.
• The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by Canada, United States, and Mexico. The games will be played among a variety of cities within the three countries such as Mexico City, Vancouver, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, etc. Mexico will kick off the games on June 11th at Estadio Azteca/Akron and will end at MetLife Stadium on July 19th in New Jersey.
• Rest days occur on July 8th, 12-13th & 16th-17th.
• The winners take home the FIFA World Cup Trophy and will earn a prestigious salary (possibly $50-$90 million).
• Tickets will be released in phases, with the first phase being a lottery draw on September 10th. General sale will be available by the end of 2025 or early 2026. Hospitality packages are now available.

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1. What Are the Dates and Where are the Locations?

June Dates

Canada:

• Toronto: June 12th, 17th, 20th, 23rd, 26th - BMO Field
• Vancouver: June 13th, 18th, 21st, 24th, 26th - BC Place

Mexico

• Guadalajara: June 11th, 18th, 22nd, 26th - Estadio Akron
• Mexico City: June 11th, 17th, 24th, 30th - Estadio Azteca
• Monterrey: June 14th, 20th, 24th, 29th - Estadio BBVA

United States

• Atlanta, Georgia: June 15th, 18th, 21st, 24th, 27th - Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Dallas, Texas - June 14th, 17th, 22nd, 25th, 27th, 30th - AT&T Stadium
• Fort Rutherford, New Jersey - June 13th, 16th, 22nd, 25th, 27th, 30th - MetLife Stadium
• Foxborough, Massachusetts (Boston) - June 13th, 16th, 19th, 23rd, 26th, 29th - Gillette Stadium
• Houston, Texas - June 14th, 17th, 20th, 23rd, 26th, 29th - NRG Stadium
• Inglewood, California (Los Angeles) - June 12th, 15th, 18th, 21st, 25th, 28th - SoFi Stadium
• Kansas City, Missouri - June 16th, 20th, 25th, 27th - GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
• Miami Gardens, Florida - June 15th, 21st, 24th, 27th - Hard Rock Stadium
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - June 14th, 19th, 22nd, 25th, 27th - Lincoln Financial Field
• Santa Clara, California (San Francisco Bay Area) - June 13th, 16th, 19th, 22nd, 25th - Levi's Stadium
• Seattle, Washington - June 15th, 19th, 24th, 26th - Lumen Field

July Dates

Canada:

• Toronto: July 2nd - BMO Field
• Vancouver: July 2nd, 7th - BC Place

Mexico

• Mexico City: July 5th - Estadio Azteca

United States

• Atlanta, Georgia: July 1st, 7th, 15th - Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Dallas, Texas - July 3rd, 6th, 14th - AT&T Stadium
• Fort Rutherford, New Jersey - July 5th, 19th (final game) - MetLife Stadium
• Foxborough, Massachusetts - July 9th - Gillette Stadium
• Houston, Texas - July 4th - NRG Stadium
• Inglewood, California - July 2nd, 10th- SoFi Stadium
• Kansas City, Missouri - July 3rd, 11th - GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
• Miami Gardens, Florida - July 3rd, 11th, 18th - Hard Rock Stadium
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - July 4th - Lincoln Financial Field
• Santa Clara, California - July 1st - Levi's Stadium
• Seattle, Washington - July 1st, 6th - Lumen Field

2. Who are The Teams Participating?

As of now, there are a total of 48 teams qualified for the tournament while there are some countries not qualified to play.

• Canada, United States, Mexico: As the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, they are automatically qualified for the tournament.
• AFC (Asia): Japan, Iran, Korea Republic, Iran, Jordan, Australia, Uzbekistan
• OFC (Oceania): New Zealand
• CONMEBOL (South America): Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador
• UEFA (Europe): Spain, France, Portugal, Poland, Austria & more

There are more countries participating in the tournament.

3. Best Airports to Land in for Access to Stadiums

Please disregard this if you're not planning on attending the World Cup in-person.

Canada

• YVR International Airport (Vancouver)
• YYZ International Airport/YTZ Airport (Toronto)

Mexico

• GDL International Airport (Guadalajara)
• MTY International Airport (Monterrey)
• MEX International Airport (Mexico City)

United States

• ATL International Airport (Atlanta)
• DFW International Airport (Dallas)
• EWR International Airport (Fort Rutherford)
• BOS International Airport (Foxborough)
• IAH Airport (Houston)
• LAX International Airport (Inglewood)
• MCI International Airport (Kansas City)
• MIA International Airport (Miami Gardens)
• PHL International Airport (Philadelphia)
• SJC International Airport (Santa Clara)
• SEA International Airport (Seattle)

4. What is The World Cup?

The World Cup is the largest international soccer (football) tournament in the entire world. As organized by FIFA and co-hosted by selected countries, it is held every four years, and each country wanting to participate in the main tournament must go through a series of smaller tournaments to get qualified by their separate confederations (AFC, OFC, and more).

The first ever tournament was inaugurated in Montevideo, Uruguay, on July 30th, 1930, and ever since then, it has become the number one most-watched sporting tournaments across the globe. According to Inside FIFA, around 5 billion people watched the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This number was estimated by attendance, television views, etc. The final match between Argentina and France was viewed more than the Super Bowl with an astounding 1.5 billion viewers.

5. Where is The World Cup Being Broadcasted?

The 2026 World Cup will be broadcasted among a variety of Canadian, American, and Mexican television channels such as Bell Media (Canada), Fox (United States), and Telemundo (Mexico). Peacock TV, fuboTV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV will also provide broadcasting for all matches. However, a subscription is required.

6. Traveling Tips

• Bring a passport (international): If you plan on attending the tournament in a different stadium internationally, it is required that you bring a passport at all times, regardless of age. There are no visas required to enter each respective country.
• Bring a government-issued ID or other (domestic in USA): If you live in the US and want to travel to a different state to watch the tournament, a passport is not required, but Real ID-compliant identification is (only for 18 and up). For 17 and under, identification is not required.
• Book World Cup tickets early: Booking tickets early for the World Cup can ease your worries and avoid any high demand and sold-out seats.
• Buy plane tickets early: Plane tickets are relatively cheap 6-12 months in advance.
• Book hotel reservations early: This tip is necessary for securing your hotel room since hotel rooms are usually selling out fast for the World Cup.

7. Who is Favored to Win the 2026 World Cup?

• Argentina (2022 World Cup Champions) - odds of +800
• Brazil (holds five World Cup wins) - odds of +600
• France (strong teams and performances) - odds of +600
• Spain (Euro 2024 winners) - odds of +500

Conclusion

This is one of the most biggest sporting events of all time. It is globally lauded by many soccer (football) fans like you and me. Whether you choose to watch the tournament from the comfort of your own home or in the stadium with your fellow sporting fans, now is the time to prepare and tell everyone.