Everything to know about the 2026 World Cup: the teams, hosts, where and who to watch

We’ve heard about 2026 Football World Cup For months, and now it’s upon us.

There are more teams and stadiums hosting this year than ever before, and tickets for World Cup matches have been a hot topic since they were first released, with prices rising for many fans, and transport to the US and to the stadiums themselves becoming a barrier to attendance for some. That’s why you’ll find me watching every match from home (or perhaps at a local park or pub for a viewing party) when the tournament starts on June 11.

The games will be broadcast daily through July 19, and this year you’ll be able to watch them all on Fox and FS1. You can follow every match in Spanish on peacockalso.

Here’s a primer on everything else you might be wondering about this year’s World Cup, including which teams will play, where the matches will be held, and who will headline the first-ever World Cup semi-final bid.

When will the 2026 FIFA World Cup be held?

This year’s World Cup begins on June 11 with a match between Mexico and South Africa, which hosts the tournament, and which will be held in Mexico City.

There will be 48 teams playing 104 matches over the course of just over a month. The tournament final is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 19, at New York New Jersey Stadium (also known as MetLife Stadium), home of the NFL’s Jets and Giants, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The group stage continues until June 27, after which the knockout stage begins. The Round of 32 will be held from June 28 to July 3, the Round of 16 from July 4 to 7, the quarter-finals from July 9 to 11, and the semi-finals on July 14 and 15.

What teams are participating in the 2026 World Cup?

This year’s World Cup is considered the largest ever in terms of the number of clubs participating in the tournament. In one of the first FIFA tournaments, 48 ​​teams qualified, and in another first, there are three host countries: Mexico, the United States and Canada. Argentina returns to the field as the latest World Cup champions, after beating France in 2022.

• Canada (host country)
• Mexico (host country)
• USA (host country)
• Algeria
• Argentina
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Brazil
• Cape Verde
• Colombia
• Congo D
• Ivory Coast
• Croatia
• Curacao
• Czech Republic
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• England
• France
• Germany
• Ghana
• Haiti
• Iran
• Iraq
• Japan
• Jordan
• Morocco
• Holland
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Portugal
• Qatar
• Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Scotland
• Senegal
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Tunisia
• Türkiye
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan

Players to watch in the 2026 World Cup

The top-ranked teams heading into the 2026 World Cup (in order) are France, Spain, Argentina and England, so naturally some of the best players to watch will be playing in those countries.

Spaniard Lamine Yamal, 18, is one of the youngest players in this year’s series (he will celebrate his birthday midway through the tournament). When he was 17, Yamal was runner-up for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, the award given to the best international footballer of the year, losing out to Ousmane Dembélé of France. Dembele is heading to his third World Cup finals, fresh from winning the Champions League with his club Paris Saint-Germain.

Lionel Messi, one of the world’s most famous footballers, returns this year as captain of the Argentine national team (also known as La Albiceleste), in what will likely be his final World Cup final. Messi, 39, and Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, are two of the oldest players in the tournament and among the most respected and famous players of all time. Even if Messi does not win a second successive title, his World Cup performance is likely to be one of the highlights of the tournament.

Harry Kane, the England captain, will also be one to watch. Kane is England’s all-time leading goalscorer and is already one of the top scorers in every league he has played in, having scored an incredible 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich this season. However, the World Cup title has eluded Keane and England, as they last won it in 1966.

Fans will also have their eyes on Japan’s Kaisho Sano, whose performances as a midfielder in the Bundesliga have earned him praise, and Nico Paz, the Argentine national team’s midfielder, known for his footwork and creative play. Paz, 21, makes history as the first Argentine national team player to play in a World Cup without playing for any of the country’s football clubs.

Other names that could go big include Australian Nestor Irankunda and Ardon Gashari, the Swiss midfielder who has caused a stir at Milan.

Who is performing in the FIFA World Cup Halftime Show?

While we don’t yet know which teams will play in this year’s World Cup final, we do know that there will be world-class entertainment at half-time.

With a lineup that rivals some of the best Super Bowl halftime shows, it will be the ultimate show for the 2026 World Cup Under the title of Madonna, Shakira and BTS. Just existence one The number of world-class artists would have been impressive, but all three will share the stage on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium. If those names weren’t enough, the show will be curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and yes, I buried the intro: Puppets will also appear.

Host cities of the 2026 World Cup

The United States, Canada and Mexico are the host countries for this year’s tournament, and matches will be held in 16 cities across the three countries. The last time the United States hosted a World Cup was in 1994; It was an easier time back then, as that year only 24 teams took part in matches across nine stadiums. Mexico has previously hosted the tournament twice, in 1970 and 1986. This year, Canada is hosting two of them, three in Mexico, and 11 in the United States.

One thing you will notice is that Places It has been temporarily rebranded for the mega event, in line with FIFA’s branding guidelines. For example, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is referred to as Atlanta Stadium, while Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, is now Boston Stadium.

A Statement on the FIFA website It explains: “All stadium capacities listed are preliminary at this stage and subject to change prior to the tournament. The official stadium names for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been matched to the names of the host cities and may differ from the common nomenclature used locally.”

• Toronto Stadium (BMO Stadium)
• BC Place Vancouver
• Guadalajara Stadium (Akron Stadium)
• Monterrey Stadium (BBVA Stadium)
• Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Azteca)
• Atlanta Stadium (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
• Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium)
• Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium)
• Houston Stadium (NRG Stadium)
• Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium)
• Los Angeles Stadium (Sophie Stadium)
• Miami Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium)
• New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium)
• Philadelphia Stadium (Lincoln Financial Stadium)
• San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (Levi Stadium)
• Seattle Stadium (Lumen Stadium)

There are official World Cup songs too

The first time I realized that the World Cup had an official theme song was in 1998, when Ricky Martin’s The Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida) was released. The song became a global hit, and in the years since, the World Cup has expanded to include not only an official song but also an official playlist featuring songs by numerous music stars.

This year’s anthem, Dai Dai, a collaboration between Shakira and Nigerian singer and producer Burna Boy, has already racked up more than 65 million views on YouTube in its first two weeks, and is one of several singles on the soundtrack. Also out now are Game Time produced by Future and Tyla, Lighter produced by Jelly Roll and Mexican singer Carín León, and Goals, a collaboration between international stars Lisa, Anitta and Rema.

Below is a summary of all the songs on the 2026 FIFA World Cup soundtrack; You can listen to playlists on Spotify and Apple music:

• Day Day by Shakira and Burna Boy (official song)
• Lisa, Anita and Rima’s goals
• Shining the spotlight on Jessie Reyes and Ileana
• Echo by Daddy Yankee and Shenseea
• Written by Ella from Los Angeles Azules and Belinda
• Lighter by Jelly Roll and Karen Lyon
• Game time by Future and TYLA

Where to watch the 2026 World Cup matches

If you plan to watch all the action on TV at home, Fox will show every U.S. men’s national team group match, as well as every match from the Round of 16 onward, including the tournament final. You will be able to watch 34 additional matches on FS1. Fox and FS1 are available on services like DirecTV, YouTube TV and Fox One.

For fans looking to watch the matches in Spanish, each match will be broadcast on either Telemundo or Universo Stream on peacock. Free streaming service tubes The opening match on June 11 and USA vs. Paraguay on June 12 will also be shown.