NEW YORK — The expanded FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 11 with a record 48 teams competing in 104 matches across 16 venues in the United States, Canada and Mexico, culminating in the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in the New York New Jersey area in what promises to be the largest and most geographically dispersed edition of soccer's premier tournament.

The tournament features a revamped format with 12 groups of four teams each. The top two from every group advance automatically to the round of 32, joined by the eight best third-place finishers, creating a more inclusive knockout stage that extends the competition to 39 days.

Mexico opens the tournament against South Africa on Thursday, June 11, at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with the second Group A match pitting South Korea against Czechia later that evening at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. Canada faces Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto, while the United States hosts Paraguay the same day at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The group stage runs through June 27, with matches spread to minimize travel fatigue and maximize fan access across the continent. Host nations were pre-assigned: Mexico in Group A, Canada in Group B and the United States in Group D. Other notable groups include strong European and South American sides distributed to ensure competitive balance.

Key venues include iconic stadiums such as MetLife Stadium (final and semifinals), SoFi........

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