2026 FIFA World Cup explained: How new 48-team format will work, kick-off times, schedule, key dates, all you need to know
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Updated 06/12/2025 at 19:57 GMT
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is on the horizon with the culmination of Friday's draw providing some mouth-watering group-stage encounters to look forward to next summer in the USA, Canada and Mexico, but how will the new 48-team format operate and what will the kick-off times be for fans watching in the UK? TNT Sports provides all the details you need to know ahead of the tournament.
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With the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup having been carried out in Washington DC, nations can start to plan ahead for next summer's tournament.
England will take on Croatia, Panama and Ghana in Group L, while Scotland will come up against Brazil, Morocco and Haiti in Group C.
France, 2022's losing finalists, will play Norway, Senegal and the winner of intercontinental play-off 2 (Bolivia, Suriname or Iraq).
Co-hosts Canada are in Group B, alongside Switzerland, 2022 hosts Qatar, and the winner of UEFA play-off A, which features Wales and Northern Ireland. Wales face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the semi-finals in March next year, while Northern Ireland meet Italy.
Mexico will play South Korea, South Africa and the victor of UEFA play-off D (Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia or the Republic of Ireland), while the USA will take on Australia, Paraguay and the winner of UEFA play-off C (Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo).
2022 World Cup winners Argentina are in Group J, as well as Austria, Algeria and Jordan.
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How does the new format work?
The 2026 World Cup is set to be the biggest-ever with the tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams, meaning an increase from 64 to 104 games across 39 days.
We now have 12 groups of four before a round of 32 will be introduced for the first time. That means the four sides that reach the semi-finals will play eight matches.
As in previous editions, the top two will progress to the knockout stages, while they will also be joined by the eight best-performing third-placed teams to make up the final 32.
Which teams meet in the last 32 will be determined by which groups the eight third-place qualifiers come from, as those positions dictate how the bracket is filled.
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino has made changes to the format
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Standings will be decided by points, then by goal difference, and next by goals scored. If none of these separate the sides, fair-play records step in - after which, only a higher world ranking will break the deadlock.
In a further development from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the four highest nations according to the FIFA rankings - Spain, Argentina, France and England - have been kept apart, meaning they cannot face each other until the semi-finals.
The Wimbledon-style special seeding status means Spain (first seed) and Argentina (second seed) have been paired, as have France (third seed) and England (fourth seed), on opposite sides of the draw.
Provided the top four nations progress as group winners, England would then not face either Spain or Argentina until the last four, with France not a possible opponent until the final on July 19.
What are the tournament dates?
On June 11, 2026, Mexico will launch the World Cup at the iconic Estadio Azteca - set to become the first venue ever to stage three tournament openers. They will play South Africa in the opening match.
The competition will conclude with the final on July 19 at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, which also hosted last summer's Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
- Group stage: June 11-27
- Last 32: June 28 to July 3
- Last 16: July 4-7
- Quarter-finals: July 9-11
- Semi-finals: July 14-15
- Third-place play-off: July 18
- Final: July 19
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What are the groups?
Full 2026 World Cup draw
Group A
- Mexico
- South Korea
- South Africa
- Winner UEFA play-off D
Group B
- Canada
- Switzerland
- Qatar
- Winner UEFA play-off A
Group C
- Brazil
- Morocco
- Scotland
- Haiti
Group D
- United States
- Australia
- Paraguay
- Winner UEFA play-off C
Group E
- Germany
- Ecuador
- Ivory Coast
- Curacao
Group F
- Netherlands
- Japan
- Tunisia
- Winner UEFA play-off B
Group G
- Belgium
- Iran
- Egypt
- New Zealand
Group H
- Spain
- Uruguay
- Saudi Arabia
- Cape Verde
Group I
- France
- Senegal
- Norway
- Winner intercontinental play-off 2
Group J
- Argentina
- Austria
- Algeria
- Jordan
Group K
- Portugal
- Colombia
- Uzbekistan
- Winner intercontinental play-off 1
Group L
- England
- Croatia
- Panama
- Ghana
Which teams are in the play-offs?
The final six spots at the 2026 World Cup will be filled by four teams from UEFA play-offs and two from inter-confederation play-offs.
UEFA play-offs have 16 teams participating - 12 runners-up from the European qualifiers plus four teams who qualified via the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League - including Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Wales and Northern Ireland could meet in the final of the Path A play-offs, while Republic of Ireland play Czech Republic in their semi-final.
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Emotional scenes as Curacao become smallest nation to qualify for World Cup
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Semi-finals (March 26, 2026)
Path A
SF1: Italy v Northern Ireland
SF2: Wales v Bosnia and Herzegovina
SF1: Italy v Northern Ireland
SF2: Wales v Bosnia and Herzegovina
Path B
SF3: Ukraine v Sweden
SF4: Poland v Albania
SF3: Ukraine v Sweden
SF4: Poland v Albania
Path C
SF5: Turkey v Romania
SF6: Slovakia v Kosovo
SF5: Turkey v Romania
SF6: Slovakia v Kosovo
Path D
SF7: Denmark v North Macedonia
SF8: Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland
SF7: Denmark v North Macedonia
SF8: Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland
Finals (March 31, 2026)
Path A: Wales / Bosnia and Herzegovina v Italy / Northern Ireland
Path B: Ukraine / Sweden v Poland / Albania
Path C: Slovakia / Kosovo v Turkey / Romania
Path D: Czech Republic / Republic of Ireland v Denmark / North Macedonia
The inter-confederation play-offs, officially called the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament, has two paths for six teams.
DR Congo and Iraq, who have the highest FIFA ranking, were seeded and placed directly in each path's final.
The four remaining teams will contest two semi-finals and the winners advance to face the seeded teams.
Semi-finals (March 26, 2026)
Path A: New Caledonia v Jamaica
Path B: Bolivia v Suriname
Path B: Bolivia v Suriname
Finals (March 31 2026)
Path A: DR Congo v Winner of semi-final A
Path B: Iraq v Winner of semi-final B
Are the World Cup venues set in stone?
The opening match will be held in Mexico City with the final taking place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey - all other fixture venues will be confirmed on Saturday, December 6.
At this stage, the other confirmed details include Dallas' AT&T Stadium and Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosting the semi-finals, while the quarter-finals are scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
USA will play their opener at SoFi Stadium on June 12 and Mauricio Pochettino's side will stay on the West Coast for the group stage, with games scheduled in Seattle and Los Angeles.
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The MetLife Stadium will host the final
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Canada will also play their first match on June 12 in Toronto, with both themselves and Mexico assured of playing all their group-stage matches in their own countries.
The following have been selected as World Cup host venues:
USA
- Dallas Stadium - Arlington, Texas (capacity 94,000)
- New York New Jersey Stadium - East Rutherford, New Jersey (capacity 82,500)
- Atlanta Stadium - Atlanta, Georgia (capacity 75,000)
- Kansas City Stadium - Kansas City, Missouri (73,000)
- Houston Stadium - Houston, Texas (capacity 72,000)
- San Francisco Bay Area Stadium - Santa Clara, California (71,000)
- Los Angeles Stadium - Inglewood, California (70,000)
- Philadelphia Stadium - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (69,000)
- Seattle Stadium - Seattle, Washington (capacity 69,000)
- Boston Stadium - Foxborough, Massachusetts (65,000)
- Miami Stadium - Miami Gardens, Florida (capacity 65,000)
Canada
- Toronto Stadium - Toronto (capacity: 45,000)
- BC Place Vancouver - Vancouver (capacity 54,000)
Mexico
- Estadio Azteca Mexico City - Mexico City (capacity 83,000)
- Estadio Monterrey - Guadalupe (capacity 53,500)
- Estadio Guadalajara - Zapopan (capacity 48,000)
But in a further complication, US President Donald Trump repeated his warning last month that scheduled World Cup games could be shifted away from American cities led by Democratic mayors or dealing with significant crime, saying matches might be relocated if any issues arise.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has not entirely dismissed the possibility of redirecting matches within the United States if there is the belief that a host location is not safe. Doing so could create major logistical problems, especially with ticket sales already well underway.
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The official World Cup mascots Maple the Moose of Canada, Zayu the Jaguar of Mexico, and Clutch the Bald Eagle of United States
Image credit: Getty Images
What will the kick-off times be?
FIFA is expected to schedule matches featuring major European teams after midnight in the UK to help avoid the worst of the high temperatures.
The planned timetable is likely to resemble the FIFA Club World Cup format which took place in the States last summer, where games were played at 17:00, then 20:00, 23:00, and finally 02:00 BST, with the latest slots used to keep players out of the extreme heat.
When are England and Scotland playing?
England and Scotland will play the bulk of their games in north-east USA, though they have been handed contrasting fortunes with kick-off times.
The Three Lions begin in Texas, then travel to Boston for their second game before a relatively short trip down the east coast to the Metlife Stadium in the New York metropolitan area.
If England do win their group, they will stay in the eastern region almost all the way to the final, playing in Atlanta twice, Miami, Mexico City and the Metlife Stadium.
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Meanwhile, Scotland play twice in Boston and then will have a tough assignment against five-time champions Brazil in tropical Miami in their final group game.
If Wales or Northern Ireland reach the finals, all of their games will be at a fan-friendly 20:00 UK time in Canada and the west coast of the USA, while Republic of Ireland are fighting for later kick-off times and two group games in Mexico.
England World Cup group fixtures (all times UK)
- England v Croatia, June 17, 21:00 - Dallas
- England v Ghana, June 23, 21:00 - Boston
- Panama v England, June 27, 22:00 - New York, New Jersey
Scotland World Cup group fixtures
- Haiti v Scotland, June 14, 02:00 - Boston
- Scotland v Morocco, June 19, 23:00 - Boston
- Scotland v Brazil, June 24, 23:00 - Miami
UEFA Play-off Path A winner (Wales, Northern Ireland, Italy or Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Canada, June 12, 20:00 - Toronto
- Switzerland, June 18, 20:00 - Inglewood
- Qatar, June 24, 20:00 - Seattle
UEFA Play-off Path D winner (Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Czechia or North Macedonia)
- South Korea, June 12, 03:00 - Zapopan
- South Africa, June 18, 17:00 - Atlanta
- Mexico, June 25, 02:00 - Mexico City (all UK and Irish time)
Keep in mind that the schedule is not completely concrete.
The fully-confirmed version is expected in March, once the remaining play-off spots are decided.
The only groups whose host cities are already set are the three belonging to the host nations - Mexico (Group A), Canada (Group B), and the United States (Group D) - though their kick-off times are still to be fully finalised.
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