Arguably the most anticipated event in soccer, the tournament, which comes around every four years, will see 48 countries compete across 104 games over a five-and-a-half week period.
As anticipation builds, here’s everything you need to know about the tournament.
Throughout the tournament, matches will be played across the three host countries.
The rest of the matches will be played in the U.S., with Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York-New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and San Francisco hosting fixtures.
The final will also include the first World Cup half-time show, an event that is already drawing comparisons to the Super Bowl tradition. Soccer fans were given a taste at last year’s Club World Cup final, also played at the MetLife.
Tubi, FOX Corporation’s free ad-supported streaming platform, will simulcast two matches free of charge and without requiring an account—the tournament opener and the United States men’s national soccer team opening game against Paraguay.
How does the tournament work?
This is the first time the World Cup will feature 48 teams, so the format is slightly different.
The 32 teams will compete in a knockout format until the final on July 19.
The full schedule can be found here.
However, he argues there are “four teams who obviously stand above the rest” naming Spain, France, England, and Argentina, as the contenders to watch.
The ceremony in Mexico will see an array of artists including Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla perform on June 11, starting 90 minutes before kick-off.
There is also much buzz about the final, which will see a World Cup half-time show. Curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, the line-up will feature performances from Shakira, Madonna, and BTS.
What has been the controversy over the tickets?
New Jersey AG Jennifer Davenport and New York AG Letitia James are "seeking information about [FIFA's] ticketing practices and are specifically requesting details about ticketing practices for eight World Cup matches hosted in New Jersey, including the World Cup final on July 19, 2026," read the accompanying press release.
Since last September, FIFA has sold match tickets in different phases, the last of which is the current “last-minute sales phase” that began on April 1, due to last up until the day of the tournament.
Earlier in May, President Donald Trump was asked about paying a potential $1,000 for a ticket to the U.S. team’s opening game against Paraguay.
As of May 27, the only available ticket on the FIFA website for the final on July 19 costs $35,000.
The eye-watering prices have largely been attributed to U.S. competitive pricing practices.
The approach has been criticized by some soccer fans, with one Europe-based soccer fan group calling FIFA’s strategy a “monumental betrayal.”
—Eva Marie Uzcategui—Getty Images
Infantino has framed the World Cup as a chance for soccer to “unite the world,” promising that the 2026 offering will be “the most inclusive and greatest” ever.
Many fans welcomed the Trump Administration’s decision in mid-May to waive visa bonds for ticketholders from countries that have qualified for the World Cup.
“The visa bond will be waived for nationals of competing countries who by April 15 purchased FIFA World Cup tickets and opted in to the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (PASS) through the FIFA website, and demonstrate that they are otherwise fully eligible for a U.S. visitor visa,” read the notice from the State Department, which framed the move as being part of Trump’s “commitment to hosting the biggest, best, and safest sporting event in World Cup history.”
Aside from discussions over how people will get into the U.S., there are also concerns around the potential presence of Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officers at matches.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last week that ICE and agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will be deployed at the World Cup to assist in dealing with criminal activity.
He did not specify if agents will be carrying out actions aimed at detaining undocumented immigrants.
“Well, ICE always says immigration enforcement. We're always going to do that. But we're not there for solely that purpose. We're in there to do our job,” he said. “We're not there to go round up mass individuals, but we are always looking for the worst of the worst. We're going to continue to do that.”
The organization argues that “immigrant communities, racial and ethnic minority groups, and LGBTQ+ individuals… continue to be disproportionately targeted and affected by the Administration’s policies and, as such, are most vulnerable to serious harm when traveling to and/or within the United States.”
Iran's participation sparks questions amid geopolitical tensions
Since the start of the Iran war in late February, there had been much speculation as to whether the country would compete in the tournament as planned.
But FIFA has said that Iran will play as scheduled at the World Cup and officials from the soccer association met with Iranian sporting officials in Turkey on May 16 to reaffirm the country’s participation.
"We are going to the World Cup, for which we qualified, and our host is FIFA—not Mr. Trump or America,” said Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, in early May.
Experts note that amid all the controversy and geopolitical tensions, there could end up being a U.S.-Iran soccer match.
“There is the possibility that [if] both the U.S. and Iran finish second in their groups, they play each other in the round of 32,” says Wilson.
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