World football’s regulatory body FIFA has announced the schedule of the 2026 World Cup. The final of the 2026 football mega event will be played at the Met Life Stadium in New Jersey. The tournament will begin on June 11 with the opening match at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. New York faced a tough challenge from Dallas to host the final match. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and 48 teams will play a total of 104 matches in 16 stadiums. The round of 16 begins on July 4 in Philadelphia, with Atlanta and Dallas hosting the semifinals. The match for third place will be played in Miami.
12 groups of four teams each
There will be 12 groups of four teams each in the tournament. The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams will advance. After this the tournament will enter directly into the knockouts. FIFA said that the schedule of matches will be announced after the qualification process is completed. The draw for the tournament is likely to take place in late 2025.
16 host cities
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York-New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver.
MetLife Stadium has a capacity of more than 82 thousand supporters.
MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York, has a capacity of 82,500 fans. It is the home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets. The stadium has hosted several international football matches, including the final of the 2016 Copa América tournament. New York has all the facilities for the customers with easy transportation. The 250th anniversary of America’s independence will also be celebrated in the 2026 World Cup. The stadium was inaugurated in 2010.