The biggest schedule yet

World Cup 2026 runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026 — 39 days of football featuring a record 104 matches. That is 40 more games than the 64 played at each tournament from 1998 to 2022.

How the days fill up

The group stage carries the heaviest load, with 12 groups of four producing 72 matches. The knockout rounds then add 32 more: 16 in the Round of 32, eight in the Round of 16, four quarter-finals, two semi-finals, a third-place play-off and the final.

• Group stage: 72 matches
• Round of 32: 16 matches
• Round of 16 to final: 16 matches
• Total: 104 matches

A logistical epic

Spread across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the tournament is the most logistically ambitious in history. Teams and fans will travel across multiple time zones and climates, from Mexico City’s altitude to the summer heat of the southern United States and the milder north.