The FIFA officially announced the complete schedule for the 2026 World Cup, defining all the details of the first World Cup with 48 teams. The tournament will begin on June 11 and end on July 19 in the North American continent.
When and where does it all start?
Mexico will face South Africa on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium, marking the historic start of the competition. This match will take place at 1:00 p.m. Mexico City time. It will be the second time in history that these teams play the opening match of a World Cup. The first occasion was in South Africa 2010, when they drew 1-1. That same day, in Guadalajara, South Korea will face the winner of the European playoff. Both matches belong to the Group A, which also includes South Africa as the second member of the group.
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The opening match is particularly significant because the Azteca Stadium will be the only venue in the world to host three World Cups. Mexico hosted in 1970, 1986, and now in 2026. This will be the eighth time the Mexican national team opens the World Cup competition in the tournament’s history.
How is the group stage distributed?
The tournament features a completely new format with 12 groups of four teams each. This represents
