World Cup 2026 kicks off as Mexico host South Africa in Mexico City opener

The FIFA World Cup 2026 opens on Thursday 11 June as Mexico face South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, kicking off at 19:00 GMT (20:00 Tunisia time), launching a 39-day tournament that runs to the final on Sunday 19 July.

The 23rd edition of the competition is the first to be co-hosted by three nations and the first to field 48 teams, expanded from 32 at Qatar 2022. Matches will be played across 16 host cities — eleven in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada.

Argentina, who won the trophy in Qatar, are the defending champions. According to FIFA rankings, Spain lead the field going into the tournament, with Argentina second, France third and England fourth.

Format and structure

The 48 nations are divided into 12 groups of four. Each team plays three group-stage matches; the top two from every group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, advance to a new Round of 32 — a knockout bracket that did not exist at previous tournaments. The knockout rounds then proceed through the Round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals to the final.

The group stage runs from 11 to 27 June. The Round of 32 follows from 28 June to 3 July, the Round of 16 from 4 to 7 July, quarterfinals from 9 to 11 July and semifinals on 14 and 15 July. The final takes place on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, referred to as New York New Jersey Stadium for the duration of the tournament under FIFA's policy of renaming all venues to avoid conflicts with naming-rights sponsors.

Opening day fixtures (all times Tunisia, UTC+1)

Group A: Mexico vs South Africa — Estadio Azteca, Mexico City — 20:00
Group A: South Korea vs Czechia — Estadio Akron, Zapopan (Guadalajara) — 03:00 Friday 12 June

Tunisia in Group F

Tunisia face their three group opponents in Mexico and the United States. The Eagles of Carthage, making their seventh World Cup appearance, are drawn in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden — and have never reached the knockout stages of the tournament.

Tunisia's group-stage schedule (all times Tunisia):

• Sunday 14 June: Tunisia vs Sweden — Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe (Monterrey), Mexico — 04:00
• Saturday 21 June: Tunisia vs Japan — Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe (Monterrey), Mexico — 06:00
• Wednesday 25 June: Tunisia vs Netherlands — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri — 01:00 Thursday 26 June

Ellyes Skhiri, the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder, is expected to captain the side. Among other players to watch is 18-year-old Rayan Elloumi, who broke through with Vancouver Whitecaps and will be among the youngest players at the tournament.

Algeria and Morocco in Group J and Group C

Algeria are placed in Group J alongside defending champions Argentina, Austria and Jordan. Their opening match is Argentina vs Algeria in Kansas City on Tuesday 16 June at 02:00 Tunisia time. Algeria then face Jordan on Monday 22 June and close the group stage against Austria on Saturday 27 June, both in the US.

Morocco are in Group C alongside Scotland, Brazil and Haiti, opening against Scotland on Friday 19 June in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Key dates for the full tournament

• Group stage: 11–27 June
• Round of 32: 28 June – 3 July
• Round of 16: 4–7 July
• Quarterfinals: 9–11 July
• Semifinals: 14–15 July
• Final: Sunday 19 July, New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), East Rutherford, New Jersey

Host cities

The United States hosts the largest share of the tournament across eleven venues, including New York-New Jersey, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Houston and San Francisco Bay Area. Mexico hosts matches in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Canada hosts games in Toronto and Vancouver.

The draw was held on 5 December 2025 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, with the full schedule confirmed the following day.