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A World Cup guide for new football fans
TL;DR
The FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States for the first time. The tournament kicks off on June 11 in Mexico City and concludes with the final on July 19 in New Jersey.
Key points
- FIFA World Cup is the most prestigious football tournament
- Jointly hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States
- Opening match on June 11 in Mexico City
- Final match on July 19 in New Jersey
Mentioned in this story
MexicoCanadaUnited StatesMexico CityNew Jersey
FIFA World Cup
It's difficult to miss the buzz and excitement surrounding the Fifa World Cup.
Football (or soccer, as they call it in North America) is the world's most popular sport and the World Cup is the most prestigious prize of them all.
For the first time in the tournament's nearly 100-year history, it will be jointly hosted by three countries - Mexico, Canada and the United States.
The opening match will be played in Mexico City on 11 June. And the final is in the US state of New Jersey on 19 July.
For anyone new to the beautiful game, here's what you need to know:
The World Cup is staged every four years. The 2026 tournament is the largest ever, with 48 countries competing. Using world rankings, the teams have been drawn into 12 groups of four countries.
The top two teams in each group automatically go through to the next phase - which is known as the round of 32.
Winning a match earns a team three points. Draws (or tying the match) gives both teams one point. A loss means, you guessed it, zero points.
The rest of the round of 32 teams are made up of the teams who came in third during the group stage and had the best overall results. Sixteen teams are eliminated in this phase.
Matches are 90 minutes long, broken into two 45-minute halves. Players have a 15-minute break at half-time.
The game clock is constantly ticking, there's no pause for stoppages. A few extra minutes are added at the end of the halves to make up for any time spent treating players for injuries, delays and mandatory water breaks, which have been introduced by Fifa to help with the summer heat.
There are no penalty shootouts in the group stage to determine the winner of a match.
After the group stage, if a match is tied, an extra 30 minutes is played. If there is still no winner, there will be penalty kicks.
- Mexico: Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City
- Canada: Toronto and Vancouver
- US: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle
Two-time winners France and 2010 champions Spain are two teams hotly tipped.
France have a stellar squad of players, including Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, who have powered their individual clubs in Europe's top competitions.
Spain will be banking on youthful talent such as 18-year-old Lamine Yamal to lead them to a second major trophy in two years.
England, after back-to-back heartbreak in the finals of two European Championships, are also in with a chance.
And there is of course the traditional favourites Brazil, the most successful country in the tournament.
Brazil are seeking their sixth world title, which would be their first since 2002.
Q&A
When does the FIFA World Cup 2026 start and end?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 starts on June 11 and ends with the final on July 19.
Which countries are hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is being hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
Where will the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 take place?
The opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will take place in Mexico City.
What is the significance of the FIFA World Cup being hosted by three countries?
This is the first time in the tournament's nearly 100-year history that the FIFA World Cup is jointly hosted by three countries, showcasing international collaboration.
