SouthernWorldwide.com – The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the most expansive edition of the global football spectacle to date, marking the first time the tournament will be jointly hosted by three nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This historic event will feature an expanded field of 48 teams competing across 16 host cities.
The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. With matches spread across the three host countries, the grand finale will be held on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. A record total of 104 matches will be broadcast live across FOX and FS1. Specifically, FOX will air 70 matches, while FS1 will broadcast 34. Every single match will also be available for live and on-demand streaming via FOX One and the FOX Sports app.
A significant portion of the tournament, a record 40 matches, will be shown during prime time hours. Of these, 21 matches will be broadcast on FOX, and 19 on FS1. This commitment to prime-time coverage ensures a wider audience can engage with the tournament’s key moments.
The opening match of the World Cup, scheduled for June 11, will feature a matchup between Mexico and South Africa. This game is set to kick off at 3 p.m. ET and will be available for free streaming on Tubi. Additionally, the United States’ opening match against Paraguay, scheduled for June 12 at 9 p.m. ET, will also be streamed for free on Tubi.
[WHEN AND WHERE: Full Schedule for 2026 FIFA World Cup]
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is notable for being co-hosted by three nations: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This tri-nation hosting arrangement is unprecedented in the tournament’s history. Previously, the World Cup has only been co-hosted once, during the 2002 edition, which was held in South Korea and Japan.
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In the United States, 11 cities have been selected as venues for the tournament. These cities include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Canada will contribute two host cities: Toronto and Vancouver. Mexico will also host matches in three of its major cities: Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City.
The United States will be the primary host nation for the majority of the 104 matches. A total of 78 games will be played across the 11 U.S. cities. Canada, with its two host cities, will host 13 matches. Mexico, similarly, will host 13 matches across its three designated cities.
The highly anticipated 2026 World Cup final is slated to take place at the New York New Jersey Stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This venue, which opened in 2010 and is also widely known as MetLife Stadium, serves as the home ground for two NFL teams: the New York Giants and the New York Jets. The final match is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, with a 3 p.m. ET kickoff.
Star player Christian Pulisic and the United States national team are now aware of their projected path through the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team has learned its group stage opponents, the stadiums where their matches will be held, and the specific times for these games. This information is crucial as they prepare for their campaign in the expanded tournament.
The full list of the 48 participating teams, which will be divided into 12 groups, is as follows:
