Are you ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup? This shall be the biggest, with 104 matches and 48 teams facing each other. To this, they shall play across 13 host cities in three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
This tournament will first-ever be held at Estadio Azteca. This will be a historic event for the global tournament, as Estadio Azteca will host the football tournament on June 11, 2026. On June 12, the match will begin in the USA (Los Angeles) and Canada. Los Angeles is also going to host the next Olympics.
The quarterfinals will take place starting July 9 in Boston, and the semi-finals starting July 14 in Dallas. The same occurs in Atlanta on July 15. The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami will host the bronze final on July 18. The completion will be held with a grand final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey.
The new stadium will host an estimated 5 billion viewers around the world, and FIFA is expecting record-breaking ticket sales. Online pre-registration for interest in tickets has already begun, with registered users being the first to be informed when sales of tickets open. For sure, it’s going to break all parameters set by international soccer.
No new venues are to be constructed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup; instead, work is set to be done on the improvement of existing venues in the 16 selected host cities spread across the US, Mexico, and Canada to meet the exact standards of FIFA.
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Other renovations mentioned include the expansion of the seating capacity and adjustment of field dimensions. Facilities and accommodations of fans have also been improved. Some examples of Stadiums under major renovation include the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, and BMO Field in Toronto.
More specifically, BMO Field needs to triple to comply with FIFA’s requirements nearly. The 2026 FIFA World Cup format will also bring another significant change. The format that used to be 16 groups of three teams is gone; instead, the tournament is now composed of 12 groups of four teams. This adjustment increases the number of matches each team plays from seven to eight, from the group stage to the final.
Under this format, the top two teams in each of the groups will qualify directly for the round of 32. Eight of the best third-place teams will also qualify, making the knockout stage include 32 teams. Real development promises more intense group-stage matches and a thrilling knockout phase.
The FIFA World Cup system in 2026 will consist of teams divided into 12 groups with 4 teams each. The first two teams from each group and the eight best third-place finishers will go to a new round of 32, as approved by the FIFA Council on March 14, 2023.
Will Messi play in the 2026 World Cup?
Lionel Messi is not in a rush to decide his future, since he is unsure if he will be present with his Argentine teammates to defend the World Cup championship in 2026.
In which country will the 2026 FIFA World Cup be held?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place in North America and will be an international men’s football (soccer) competition, with games occurring in 16 venues in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
What is FIFA’s full name?
Another name for FIFA is the International Federation of Association Football (translated into the literal meaning of “Fédération Internationale de Football Association”), which is the international self-governing governing body of futsal, beach soccer, and soccer.
