World Cup 2026: Fixtures, rules, album, teams, host countries, cities and more

The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the Los Angeles stop of The FIFA World Cup 26 Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola at LA Live in Los Angeles on March 24, 2026. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP)

With only two days to go, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will usher in a new era for international football as the tournament expands to 48 teams and is jointly hosted by three countries for the first time in history: Canada, Mexico and the United States. The competition, widely regarded as the world’s premier international football tournament, will run from June to July 2026, with the final scheduled for Sunday, 19 July 2026, in New York/New Jersey. The opening match will be played on Thursday, 11 June 2026, in Mexico City. In this article, PUNCH Online keeps fans updated on major information to know, from fixtures to stadiums, rules and others. Qualified teams by region Co-hosts: Canada, Mexico, United States AFC: Australia, Iraq, IR Iran, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UzbekistanCAF: Algeria, Cabo Verde, Congo DR, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, TunisiaCONCACAF: Curaçao, Haiti, PanamaCONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, UruguayOFC: New ZealandUEFA: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czechia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye Host countries and cities The tournament will be staged across 16 cities in three countries. Canada: Toronto, Vancouver Mexico: Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle Stadiums A total of 16 stadiums will host matches across the three countries: Related News Messi set to return for Argentina against Iceland FULL LIST: Eight countries that have never qualified for World Cup US revoked World Cup ticket allocation for supporters — Iran Canada: Toronto Stadium, BC Place (Vancouver)Mexico: Mexico City Stadium, Estadio Guadalajara, Estadio MonterreyUnited States: Atlanta Stadium, Boston Stadium, Dallas Stadium, Houston Stadium, Kansas City Stadium, Los Angeles Stadium, Miami Stadium, New York/New Jersey Stadium, Philadelphia Stadium, San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Seattle Stadium Fixtures The tournament returns to its traditional June–July window. Click the link below for full fixtures: https://punchng.com/full-list-fixtures-for-2026-fifa-world-cup-group-stage/ News rules and regulations FIFA has introduced new rules that will guide the tournament. Thes