World Cup 2026
Global Fan Predictions

🗓️ June 11, 2026 — Opening Match

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, 2026 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City — one of the most iconic stadiums in football history and the venue where Diego Maradona scored both the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century in 1986. The opening match will be the first time Mexico has hosted a World Cup since 1986, and the atmosphere is expected to be one of the most electric in tournament history. Over 87,000 fans will be inside the stadium for the first kick of the biggest World Cup ever staged.

📊 June 12–27, 2026 — Group Stage

The group stage runs for 16 days across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada. All 48 teams play 3 matches each across 12 groups of 4, producing 48 group stage matches in total. The top 2 teams from each group advance automatically, while the 8 best third-placed teams also progress to the Round of 32 — a new format introduced for 2026 that gives more nations a genuine chance of reaching the knockout rounds. Matches will be played simultaneously on the final group stage matchday to prevent tactical manipulation of results.

⚔️ July 1–4, 2026 — Round of 32

The Round of 32 is a new addition to the World Cup format, introduced for the first time in 2026. The 32 qualified teams — 24 group stage qualifiers plus 8 best third-placed teams — compete in single-leg knockout matches. There is no second chance. Lose and you go home, regardless of how impressive your group stage performance was. This round produces 16 matches across 4 days of football, generating enormous drama as the field is cut in half before the tournament reaches its climax.

🏟️ July 6–10, 2026 — Round of 16

The Round of 16 is where the World Cup truly begins to feel like a knockout tournament. Sixteen teams remain, and each match is a potential classic. Historically, the Round of 16 has produced some of the greatest upsets in football history — including Germany's elimination by South Korea in 2018, France's against Argentina in a match widely considered the greatest World Cup knockout game ever played. In 2026, these matches will be staged at the largest venues across the three host nations, with capacities between 60,000 and 92,000 fans.

🔥 July 13–15, 2026 — Quarter-Finals

Four matches across three days reduce the field to the final four teams. The quarter-finals are routinely the most tactically intense matches of any World Cup, where the best coaches in the world face each other with the semi-final just one result away. In 2026, the quarter-finals will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, AT&T Stadium in Dallas, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena — four of the most iconic American sporting venues.

🌟 July 17–18, 2026 — Semi-Finals

The two semi-finals will be held at AT&T Stadium in Dallas and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. These matches produce the two finalists and simultaneously eliminate two teams in the third-place play-off. World Cup semi-finals have produced some of the most memorable nights in football history — Germany 7–1 Brazil in 2014, France vs Belgium in 2018, Argentina vs Croatia in 2022. In 2026, the standard of teams expected to reach this stage makes it almost certain the semi-finals will define the tournament.

🏆 July 19, 2026 — The Final, MetLife Stadium

The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final takes place on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — the largest stadium by capacity in the United States with over 82,000 seats. MetLife Stadium is the home of both the New York Giants and the New York Jets, and sits just 8 miles from Manhattan. It will be the most watched sporting event in human history, with a global television audience expected to exceed 1.5 billion viewers. The trophy will be lifted in the shadow of New York City, the most recognisable skyline on earth. Vote now for who you believe will be holding that trophy on July 19.