World Cup Hosts and Final Qualifiers Confirmed
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place across Canada, Mexico, and the United States from 11 June to 19 July. The final six nations have secured their spots, completing the expanded 48-team roster for this summer's tournament.
DR Congo and Iraq were the last teams to qualify for the 23rd edition of the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This concluded a lengthy qualification process that began in September 2023 and involved six confederations, culminating in the UEFA and intercontinental play-offs held on 31 March.
The final four European qualifiers were announced on Tuesday, with the notable elimination of four-time champions Italy by Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Czech Republic, Turkey, and Sweden also secured their places.
DR Congo and Iraq earned their spots with victories over Jamaica and Bolivia, respectively.
Of the 48 participating teams, the three host nations qualified automatically, 43 teams qualified directly through their confederations, and two places were decided via intercontinental play-offs.
With the full lineup confirmed, focus now turns to the largest World Cup ever staged.
How Will the Tournament Operate?
The 2026 World Cup will feature a record 48 teams, an increase from the 32 teams that competed in Qatar in 2022. A total of 104 matches will be played across three countries for the first time.
The tournament will be hosted in 16 cities: 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. The event will run from 11 June to 19 July, spanning a record 39 days, compared to 29 days in Qatar and 32 days in the 2014 and 2018 editions.
The format includes 12 groups of four teams each. The opening match will be Mexico versus South Africa at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca on Thursday, 11 June, 18 days after the conclusion of the Premier League season.
The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to a knockout stage beginning with a round of 32. The new world champion will be crowned at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July.
Match Scheduling and Time Zones
Matches will take place across four time zones and venues up to 2,800 miles apart, resulting in 13 different kick-off times. For European viewers, some matches will be scheduled during the early hours of the morning.
For example, all five group-stage matches in Kansas City will occur during the night UK time, with the earliest kick-off at 00:00 BST on Friday, 26 June (Tunisia vs. Netherlands) and the latest at 03:00 BST on Sunday, 28 June (Algeria vs. Austria).
The San Francisco Bay Area will host two matches starting at 05:00 BST: Austria vs. Jordan on Tuesday, 16 June, and Turkey vs. Paraguay on Friday, 19 June.
Other 05:00 BST kick-offs include Australia vs. Turkey in Vancouver on Saturday, 13 June, and Tunisia vs. Japan in Guadalupe, Mexico, on Saturday, 20 June.
Overall, 35 group-stage matches will begin between 00:00 BST and 05:00 BST, nearly half of the 72 group-stage fixtures. The most frequent kick-off time will be 20:00 BST, with 12 group-stage games scheduled then.
England and Scotland Match Schedules
England's group-stage matches are as follows:
- Wednesday, 17 June vs. Croatia in Dallas at 21:00 (15:00 local)
- Tuesday, 23 June vs. Ghana in Boston at 21:00 (16:00 local)
- Saturday, 27 June vs. Panama in New Jersey at 22:00 (17:00 local)
Scotland's group-stage matches include:
- Sunday, 14 June vs. Haiti in Boston at 02:00 (21:00 local)
- Friday, 19 June vs. Morocco in Boston at 23:00 (18:00 local)
- Wednesday, 24 June vs. Brazil in Miami at 23:00 (18:00 local)
Favourites to Win the Tournament
European champions Spain are considered favourites after an almost perfect qualification campaign. Their squad features talents such as Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Martin Zubimendi, 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, and Lamine Yamal, regarded as one of the best young players globally.
England is also highly rated, having finished as runners-up in the last two European Championships. Under Thomas Tuchel, England qualified with a perfect record, winning all matches without conceding a goal. Their squad includes prominent players like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.
France remains a strong contender with a formidable attacking lineup featuring Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappé, and Hugo Ekitike. The 2022 runners-up remained unbeaten in European qualifying.
Defending champions Argentina topped the South American qualifying group by nine points over Ecuador. With two Copa America titles and one World Cup win in four years, Argentina is in strong form.
Despite a less impressive qualification campaign, Brazil, five-time World Cup winners, cannot be ruled out. They finished fifth in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, losing six of 18 matches, with their last World Cup triumph 22 years ago.
Outside Contenders
Norway, absent from the World Cup since 1998 and never advancing past the last 16, could be a surprise. Manchester City's Erling Haaland scored 16 goals in qualifying, and Norway won all eight matches, including home and away victories over Italy.
Morocco also won all their qualifying matches and currently rank eighth globally. They reached the Africa Cup of Nations final this year and, despite a 1-0 loss to Senegal, were controversially awarded the title. Morocco is drawn in a group with Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti and will likely aim to advance.
Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah, expects to progress from a group including Belgium, New Zealand, and Iran.
Japan, the strongest Asian team, conceded only three goals in 16 qualifying matches and recorded their first-ever victory over England with a 1-0 friendly win at Wembley in March. They will face the Netherlands, Tunisia, and Sweden in the group stage.
Colombia had a strong South American qualifying campaign, finishing third overall after victories against Brazil and Argentina.
Regarding the host nations, Canada, appearing in their third World Cup finals, could be a surprise. Although they have lost all six previous World Cup matches, they have been drawn with Qatar, Switzerland, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
World Cup Debutants
Four nations will make their World Cup debut in 2026.
The Caribbean island of Curacao, with an unbeaten qualification campaign, will become the smallest nation to participate in a World Cup. They will compete in Group E against Germany, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador.
Curacao is located 37 miles off the Venezuelan coast, with a population slightly over 150,000—comparable to cities like Cambridge or Huddersfield—and a land area of 171 square miles, smaller than the Isle of Man. It became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010.
Cape Verde is the third-smallest nation to qualify after Curacao and Iceland. The Blue Sharks topped their qualifying group ahead of African powerhouse Cameroon. The archipelago consists of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean, with a population under 525,000. Cape Verde gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and first attempted World Cup qualification in 2002. They will face Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay in Group H.
Asia's debutants are Uzbekistan and Jordan. Uzbekistan, Asian Cup semi-finalists in 2011, qualified under former Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro. The White Wolves include players such as Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov and former Roma striker Eldor Shomurodov. They will compete in a group with Portugal, Colombia, and DR Congo.
Jordan finished behind South Korea with four wins and four draws in 10 matches during the third round of Asian qualifiers. Ranked 64th globally, Jordan reached the final of the 2023 Asian Cup, losing to hosts Qatar. Their group includes Argentina, Algeria, and Austria.
For more information, see: Who are the 2026 World Cup debutants?
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