World Cup 2026 Guide: Complete Fan Companion

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest in the tournament's history, and there is a lot to take in: 48 teams, 104 matches, three host nations and a brand-new format. This World Cup 2026 guide pulls everything together in one place, from the key dates and venues to how the tournament works and how to follow every match. Whether you are a lifelong fan or tuning in for the very first time, here is your complete companion to football's grandest event.

The essentials: dates, hosts and venues

The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the first time three nations have jointly staged the men's tournament. It kicks off on 11 June 2026 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and runs for around five and a half weeks, ending with the final on 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. In between, the action sweeps across the continent from coast to coast.

Matches are spread across host cities in all three countries, so wherever you are in North America, there is a good chance there is football near you. The wide geography also means a real mix of climates, time zones and atmospheres, from summer heat in the south to cooler northern venues. For fans planning to travel, that spread rewards a bit of early research into host cities and kickoff times. To plan which games to catch and when, our fixtures page lists the full schedule as it is confirmed.

How the new 48-team format works

This is the first 48-team World Cup, expanded from the 32-team format used since 1998. The nations are split into 12 groups of four, labelled A through L, and each team plays its three group rivals once. The top two from every group advance, joined by the eight best third-placed teams, to fill a 32-team knockout bracket. That extra route for third-placed sides keeps more teams alive deep into the group stage.

The knockouts then run as straight single elimination: a brand-new round of 32, then the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final. In all, the tournament features a record 104 matches, far more than the 64 of previous editions. You can read how each group is shaping up on our standings page once the action begins.

Teams and how to follow them

With 48 nations involved, there are more teams to follow than ever, including countries making rare or even first-ever appearances thanks to the expanded format. That broader field is one of the most exciting parts of 2026, giving smaller footballing nations a genuine stage. A wider variety of styles and stories makes the group stage especially unpredictable.

Our dedicated teams hub is the place to browse squads and nation profiles, while the FIFA rankings give a useful sense of who the heavyweights and the dark horses are heading into kick-off. It is worth reading up on a few unfamiliar nations before the tournament, as the expanded field almost guarantees a breakout team nobody saw coming. With more underdogs in the mix and a forgiving group format, do not be surprised if a less-fancied side goes on a memorable run deep into the knockouts.

How to watch and keep up with every match

With football on almost every day for over a month, staying up to date is half the fun, and the sheer volume of matches can be hard to track. The good news is that you do not have to choose just one tool. Our live scores and fixtures hubs are built to keep you across all 104 matches without missing a beat, whether you are following one nation or the whole tournament.

• Use fixtures to plan ahead and decide which matches to watch
• Use our live scores hub to follow games in real time
• Use standings to track the group races and third-place cut-off
• Relive the best moments and goals as they fly in throughout the day

Bookmarking these pages before the tournament starts means you are ready the moment the first whistle blows at the Estadio Azteca.

Get into the fan spirit

A World Cup is about far more than just results. With three host nations sharing the tournament, 2026 has a genuinely continental, festival feel, complete with its trio of mascots and a bold, unified branding. Fan zones, watch parties and city celebrations will run for weeks across North America, so there are plenty of ways to soak up the atmosphere even without a match ticket.

Want to celebrate in your own way? The NinetyMins AI jersey tool on our goal feature lets you design your own World Cup-style kit in seconds, a fun way to back your nation as the action unfolds. Whether you are travelling to a host city or watching from your sofa, getting into the spirit is part of what makes a World Cup summer so special.

Conclusion

That is your World Cup 2026 guide: a 48-team, 104-match tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico, running from 11 June to the final on 19 July at MetLife Stadium. There has never been a bigger or more accessible World Cup to follow, wherever in the world you are watching from. Bookmark our fixtures, live scores and standings pages, explore the teams, design a kit, and you will be all set for the biggest World Cup the sport has ever seen.