MEXICO CITY (Kashmir English): The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on Thursday with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at iconic Estadio Azteca here at 3:00 pm local time (1900 GMT).
Soaring ticket prices, an uneasy political climate in Donald Trump’s America and the shadow of the Middle East conflict are the things that so far dominated the pre-tournament events.
A record 48 teams and millions of fans are set to descend on the three co-hosts; United States, Canada and Mexico.
This would be the first-ever World Cup co-hosted by three nations, the largest and most logistically complex edition of the tournament ever staged.
The nearly six-week-long action will culminate in the final at New Jersey’s 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium on July 19.
The most interesting question ahead of the tournament is whether Lionel Messi, at the age of 38, would settle the lingering debate about his status as the greatest player of all time by leading Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup title?
Or can Messi’s great rival, the 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, would able a talented Portugal team to its maiden World Cup win?
Or will England, led by Harry Kane, finally end the nations’ 60-year wait for a second major world championship following their lone 1966 World Cup victory?
Those questions and more will be answered over the course of a tournament that FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has bullishly hyped as “the greatest show that the planet has ever seen.”
The skyrocketing cost of tickets to the global event has triggered a global backlash which has left the governing body and its president struggling to mount a convincing public relations defense.
The most expensive ticket for the 2022 World Cup final cost around $1,600 at face value; in 2026 the most expensive face value ticket being sold by FIFA is an eye-watering $32,970.
Iran are due to play their three group games in the United States, starting with their opener against New Zealand on June 15 amid tensions at home.
Trump initially suggested Iran should withdraw from the tournament for their own “life and safety” before walking back his rhetoric.
Iran meanwhile switched their base camp from Tucson, Arizona to the Mexican city of Tijuana, where they touched down early Sunday.
While Iranian players are free to travel in and out of the United States, some 15 administrative and management staff have been denied visas by US authorities in a move Iranian authorities have condemned as “deliberate and discriminatory treatment.”
A total of 72 first-round matches will be needed to eliminate just 12 teams, with 32 advancing to the knockout rounds — the top two finishers in each of the 12 first ground groups along with the eight best third-place finishers.
FIFA World Cup 2026 innovations
For the first time in the tournament history, every match will feature cooling breaks in the middle of each half, a measure designed to mitigate the effects of searing heat and humidity expected at many of the tournament’s 16 venues.
World Cup key dates
Group stage: June 11-27
Round of 32: June 28 to July 3
Round of 16: July 4-7
Quarter-finals: July 9-11
Semi-finals: July 14-15
Third-place play-off (‘Bronze final’): July 18
Final: July 19
Full 2026 World Cup schedule by day
Thursday, June 11
Group A: Mexico vs South Africa – Mexico City, Mexico
Friday, June 12
Group A: South Korea vs Czech Republic – Zapopan, Mexico
Group B: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, kick-off 8pm – Toronto, Canada
Saturday, June 13
Group D: USA vs Paraguay – Los Angeles, USA
Group B: Qatar vs Switzerland – Santa Clara, USA
Group C: Brazil vs Morocco – New Jersey, USA
Sunday, June 14
Group C: Haiti vs Scotland – Foxborough, USA
Group D: Australia vs Turkey – Vancouver, Canada
Group E: Germany vs Curacao – Houston, USA
Group F: Netherlands vs Japan – Arlington, USA
Monday, June 15
Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador – Philadelphia, USA
Group F: Sweden vs Tunisia – Guadalupe, Mexico
Group H: Spain vs Cape Verde – Atlanta, USA
Group G: Belgium vs Egypt – Seattle, USA
Group H: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay – Miami, USA
Tuesday, June 16
Group G: Iran vs New Zealand – Los Angeles, USA
Group I: France vs Senegal – New Jersey, USA
Group I: Iraq vs Norway – Foxborough, USA
Wednesday, June 17
Group J: Argentina vs Algeria – Kansas City, USA
Group J: Austria vs Jordan – Santa Clara, USA
Group K: Portugal vs DR Congo – Houston, USA
Group L: England vs Croatia – Arlington, USA
Thursday, June 18
Group L: Ghana vs Panama – Toronto, Canada
Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia – Mexico City, Mexico
Group A: Czech Republic vs South Africa – Atlanta, USA
Group B: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina – Los Angeles, USA
Group B: Canada vs Qatar – Vancouver, Canada
Friday, June 19
Group A: Mexico vs South Korea – Zapopan, Mexico
Group D: USA vs Australia – Seattle, USA
Group C: Scotland vs Morocco – Foxborough, USA
Saturday, June 20
Group C: Brazil vs Haiti – Philadelphia, USA
Group D: Turkey vs Paraguay – Santa Clara, USA
Group A: Netherlands vs Sweden – Houston, USA
Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast – Toronto, Canada
Sunday, June 21
Group E: Ecuador vs Curacao – Kansas City, USA
Group F: Tunisia vs Japan – Guadalupe, Mexico
Group H: Spain vs Saudi Arabia – Atlanta, USA
Group G: Belgium vs Iran – Los Angeles, USA
Group H: Uruguay vs Cape Verde – Miami, USA
Monday, June 22
Group G: New Zealand vs Egypt – Vancouver, Canada
Group J: Argentina vs Austria – Arlington, USA
Group I: France vs Iraq – Philadelphia, USA
Tuesday, June 23
Group I: Norway vs Senegal – Toronto, Canada
Group J: Jordan vs Algeria – Santa Clara, USA
Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan – Houston, USA
Group L: England vs Ghana – Foxborough, USA
Wednesday, June 24
Group L: Panama vs Croatia – Foxborough, USA
Group K: Colombia vs DR Congo – Zapopan, Mexico
Group B: Switzerland vs Canada – Vancouver, Canada
Group B: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar – Seattle, USA
Group C: Morocco vs Haiti – Atlanta, USA
Group C: Scotland vs Brazil – Miami, USA
Thursday, June 25
Group A: South Africa vs South Korea – Guadalupe, Mexico
Group A: Czech Republic vs Mexico – Mexico City, Mexico
Group E: Curacao vs Ivory Coast – Philadelphia, USA
Group E: Ecuador vs Germany – New Jersey, USA
Friday, June 26
Group F: Tunisia vs Netherlands – Kansas City, USA
Group F: Japan vs Sweden – Arlington, USA
Group D: Turkey vs USA – Los Angeles, USA
Group D: Paraguay vs Australia – Santa Clara, USA
Group I: Norway vs France – Foxborough, USA
Group I: Senegal vs Iraq – Toronto, Canada
Saturday, June 27
Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia – Houston, USA
Group H: Uruguay vs Spain – Zapopan, Mexico
Group G: New Zealand vs Belgium – Vancouver, Canada
Group G: Egypt vs Iran – Seattle, USA
Group L: Panama vs England – New Jersey, USA
Group L: Croatia vs Ghana – Philadelphia, USA
Sunday, June 28
Group K: Colombia vs Portugal – Miami, USA
Group K: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan – Atlanta, USA
Group J: Algeria vs Austria – Kansas City, USA
Group J: Jordan vs Argentina – Arlington, USA
Round of 32
Monday, June 29
Round of 32 – Group C winners vs Group F runners-up – Houston, USA
Round of 32 – Group E winners vs Group A/B/C/D/F third place – Foxborough, USA
Tuesday, June 30
Round of 32 – Group F winners vs Group C runners-up – Guadalupe, Mexico
Round of 32 – Group E runners-up vs Group I runners-up – Arlington, USA
Round of 32 – Group I winners vs Group C/D/F/G/H third place – New Jersey, USA
Wednesday, July 1
Round of 32 – Group A winners vs Group C/E/F/H/I third place – Mexico City, Mexico
Round of 32 – Group L winners vs Group E/H/I/J/K third place – Atlanta, USA
Round of 32 – Group G winners vs Group A/E/H/I/J third place – Seattle, USA
Thursday, July 2
Round of 32 – Group D winners vs Group B/E/F/I/J third place – Santa Clara, USA
Round of 32 – Group H winners vs Group J runners-up – Los Angeles, USA
Friday, July 3
Round of 32 – Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-up – Toronto, Canada
Round of 32 – Group B winners vs Group E/F/G/I/J third place – Vancouver, Canada
Round of 32 – Group D runners-up vs Group G runners-up – Arlington, USA
Round of 32 – Group J winners vs Group H runners-up – Miami, USA
Saturday, July 4
Round of 32 – Group K winners vs Group D/E/I/J/L third place – Kansas City, USA
Round of 16 – Match 73 winners vs Match 75 winners – Houston, USA
Round of 16 – Match 74 winners vs Match 77 winners – Philadelphia, USA
Sunday, July 5
Round of 16 – Match 76 winners vs Match 78 winners – New Jersey, USA
Monday, July 6
Round of 16 – Match 79 winners vs Match 80 winners – Mexico City, Mexico
Round of 16 – Match 83 winners vs Match 84 winners – Arlington, USA
Tuesday, July 7
Round of 16 – Match 81 winners vs Match 82 winners – Seattle, USA
Round of 16 – Match 86 winners vs Match 88 winners – Atlanta, USA
Round of 16 – Match 85 winners vs Match 87 winners – Vancouver, Canada
Thursday, July 9
Quarter-final – Match 97: Match 89 winners vs Match 90 winners – Foxborough, USA
Friday, July 10
Quarter-final – Match 98: Match 93 winners vs Match 94 winners – Los Angeles, USA
Saturday, July 11
Quarter-final – Match 99: Match 91 winners vs Match 92 winners – Miami, USA
Sunday, July 12
Quarter-final – Match 100: Match 95 winners vs Match 96 winners – Kansas City, USA
Tuesday, July 14
Semi-final – Match 101: Match 97 winners vs Match 98 winners – Arlington, USA
Wednesday, July 15
Semi-final – Match 102: Match 99 winners vs Match 100 winners – Atlanta, USA
Saturday, July 18
Third Place Playoff – Match 103: Match 101 losers vs Match 102 losers – Miami, USA
Sunday, July 19
Final – Match 104: Match 101 winners vs Match 102 winners, kick-off 8pm – New Jersey, USA
