2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Teams, Schedule, Venue & Format
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest tournament in soccer history. We’re talking about 48 teams competing across three countries for the ultimate prize in football.
This guide covers everything you need to know about the group stage including the full schedule, format, qualified teams, host cities and more.
How Does the Group Stage Work (Format)
The 2026 World Cup brings a brand new format that changes everything we knew before. The tournament expands from 32 teams to 48 teams for the first time ever.
Here’s the breakdown: FIFA divides all 48 teams into 12 groups. Each group contains 4 teams. Every team plays three matches against the other teams in their group. The entire tournament features 104 matches compared to just 64 in previous World Cups.
The advancement rules work like this. The top two teams from each group move forward automatically. That gives us 24 teams right there. But here’s the interesting part: the eight best third-place teams also advance to the knockout rounds. This means 32 teams total will continue playing after the group stage ends.
The tournament adds a new Round of 32 that never existed before. Teams need to win this round before reaching the traditional Round of 16.
FIFA uses specific tiebreakers to separate teams with equal points. Goal difference comes first. Then total goals scored. After that, head-to-head results between tied teams. The fair play score (team conduct record) comes next. FIFA world ranking follows that. The final option is drawing lots if teams remain tied.
The 2026 format includes one more cool feature. The top four ranked teams in the world get placed into separate pathways through the bracket. Spain, Argentina, France, and England cannot meet each other until the semifinals. This ensures the best teams stay separated until the final stages.
Qualified Teams for 2026 World Cup Group Stage
Right now 42 teams have secured their spots for the 2026 World Cup. Six more teams will qualify through playoff matches in March 2026.
FIFA divides teams into four pots based on world rankings. Pot 1 holds the three host nations plus the nine highest-ranked teams. The United States, Mexico, and Canada get automatic spots as hosts. Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany join them in Pot 1.
Pot 2 contains the next 12 best teams including Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, and Japan. Pot 3 features teams like Norway, Panama, Egypt, Scotland, and Qatar. Pot 4 will include the lowest-ranked qualifiers plus six playoff winners who aren’t known yet.
Europe sends 16 teams to the tournament. Africa gets 9 spots. Asia claims 8 positions. South America brings 6 teams. North America sends 6 teams including the three hosts. Oceania gets 1 guaranteed spot for the first time in World Cup history.
Four nations will make their World Cup debuts in 2026. Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Curaçao all qualified for the first time. Curaçao makes history as the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup with only 185,494 people.
2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage Schedule
The group stage runs from June 11 through June 27, 2026. That’s 17 straight days of World Cup soccer across three nations.
Mexico hosts the very first match on June 11, 2026 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The United States opens play on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Canada also begins on June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto.
FIFA pre-assigned the three host nations to specific groups. Mexico plays in Group A. Canada competes in Group B. The United States gets Group D. Each host nation plays all three group matches on home soil.
| Date | Group | Team | Match | Time (EST) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jun. 11 | A | Mexico vs. South Africa | 1 | 3:00 PM | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Thu, Jun. 11 | A | South Korea vs. UEFA Playoff D | 2 | 10:00 PM | Estadio Akron, Zapopan |
| Fri, Jun. 12 | B | Canada vs. UEFA Playoff A | 3 | 3:00 PM | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Fri, Jun. 12 | D | USA vs. Paraguay | 4 | 9:00 PM | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Sat, Jun. 13 | D | Australia vs. UEFA Playoff C | 5 | 12:00 AM | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Sat, Jun. 13 | B | Qatar vs. Switzerland | 6 | 3:00 PM | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Sat, Jun. 13 | C | Brazil vs. Morocco | 7 | 6:00 PM | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Sat, Jun. 13 | C | Haiti vs. Scotland | 8 | 9:00 PM | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Sun, Jun. 14 | E | Germany vs. Curaçao | 9 | 1:00 PM | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Sun, Jun. 14 | F | Netherlands vs. Japan | 10 | 4:00 PM | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Sun, Jun. 14 | E | Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador | 11 | 7:00 PM | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Sun, Jun. 14 | F | UEFA Playoff B vs. Tunisia | 12 | 10:00 PM | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
| Mon, Jun. 15 | H | Spain vs. Cape Verde | 13 | 12:00 PM | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Mon, Jun. 15 | G | Belgium vs. Egypt | 14 | 3:00 PM | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Mon, Jun. 15 | H | Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay | 15 | 6:00 PM | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens |
| Mon, Jun. 15 | G | Iran vs. New Zealand | 16 | 9:00 PM | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Tue, Jun. 16 | I | France vs. Senegal | 17 | 3:00 PM | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Tue, Jun. 16 | I | IC Playoff 2 vs. Norway | 18 | 6:00 PM | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Tue, Jun. 16 | J | Argentina vs. Algeria | 19 | 9:00 PM | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Tue, Jun. 16 | J | Austria vs. Jordan | 20 | 12:00 AM | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Wed, Jun. 17 | K | Portugal vs. IC Playoff 1 | 21 | 1:00 PM | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Wed, Jun. 17 | L | England vs. Croatia | 22 | 4:00 PM | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Wed, Jun. 17 | L | Ghana vs. Panama | 23 | 7:00 PM | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Wed, Jun. 17 | K | Uzbekistan vs. Colombia | 24 | 10:00 PM | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Thu, Jun. 18 | A | UEFA Playoff D vs. South Africa | 25 | 12:00 PM | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Thu, Jun. 18 | B | Switzerland vs. UEFA Playoff A | 26 | 3:00 PM | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Thu, Jun. 18 | B | Canada vs. Qatar | 27 | 6:00 PM | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Thu, Jun. 18 | A | Mexico vs. South Korea | 28 | 9:00 PM | Estadio Akron, Zapopan |
| Fri, Jun. 19 | D | UEFA Playoff C vs. Paraguay | 29 | 12:00 AM | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Fri, Jun. 19 | D | USA vs. Australia | 30 | 3:00 PM | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Fri, Jun. 19 | C | Scotland vs. Morocco | 31 | 6:00 PM | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Fri, Jun. 19 | C | Brazil vs. Haiti | 32 | 9:00 PM | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Sat, Jun. 20 | F | Tunisia vs. Japan | 33 | 12:00 AM | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
| Sat, Jun. 20 | F | Netherlands vs. UEFA Playoff B | 34 | 1:00 PM | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Sat, Jun. 20 | E | Germany vs. Ivory Coast | 35 | 4:00 PM | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Sat, Jun. 20 | E | Ecuador vs. Curaçao | 36 | 8:00 PM | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Sun, Jun. 21 | H | Spain vs. Saudi Arabia | 37 | 12:00 PM | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Sun, Jun. 21 | G | Belgium vs. Iran | 38 | 3:00 PM | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Sun, Jun. 21 | H | Uruguay vs. Cape Verde | 39 | 6:00 PM | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens |
| Sun, Jun. 21 | G | New Zealand vs. Egypt | 40 | 9:00 PM | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Mon, Jun. 22 | J | Argentina vs. Austria | 41 | 1:00 PM | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Mon, Jun. 22 | I | France vs. IC Playoff 2 | 42 | 5:00 PM | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Mon, Jun. 22 | I | Norway vs. Senegal | 43 | 8:00 PM | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Mon, Jun. 22 | J | Jordan vs. Algeria | 44 | 11:00 PM | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Tue, Jun. 23 | K | Portugal vs. Uzbekistan | 45 | 1:00 PM | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Tue, Jun. 23 | L | England vs. Ghana | 46 | 4:00 PM | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Tue, Jun. 23 | L | Panama vs. Croatia | 47 | 7:00 PM | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Tue, Jun. 23 | K | Colombia vs. IC Playoff 1 | 48 | 10:00 PM | Estadio Akron, Zapopan |
| Wed, Jun. 24 | B | Switzerland vs. Canada | 49 | 3:00 PM | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Wed, Jun. 24 | B | UEFA Playoff A vs. Qatar | 50 | 3:00 PM | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Wed, Jun. 24 | C | Scotland vs. Brazil | 51 | 6:00 PM | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens |
| Wed, Jun. 24 | C | Morocco vs. Haiti | 52 | 6:00 PM | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Wed, Jun. 24 | A | UEFA Playoff D vs. Mexico | 53 | 9:00 PM | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Wed, Jun. 24 | A | South Africa vs. South Korea | 54 | 9:00 PM | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
| Thu, Jun. 25 | E | Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast | 55 | 4:00 PM | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Thu, Jun. 25 | E | Ecuador vs. Germany | 56 | 4:00 PM | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Thu, Jun. 25 | F | Japan vs. UEFA Playoff B | 57 | 7:00 PM | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Thu, Jun. 25 | F | Tunisia vs. Netherlands | 58 | 7:00 PM | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Thu, Jun. 25 | D | UEFA Playoff C vs. USA | 59 | 10:00 PM | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Thu, Jun. 25 | D | Paraguay vs. Australia | 60 | 10:00 PM | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Fri, Jun. 26 | I | Norway vs. France | 61 | 3:00 PM | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Fri, Jun. 26 | I | Senegal vs. IC Playoff 2 | 62 | 3:00 PM | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Fri, Jun. 26 | H | Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia | 63 | 8:00 PM | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Fri, Jun. 26 | H | Uruguay vs. Spain | 64 | 8:00 PM | Estadio Akron, Zapopan |
| Fri, Jun. 26 | G | Egypt vs. Iran | 65 | 11:00 PM | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Fri, Jun. 26 | G | New Zealand vs. Belgium | 66 | 11:00 PM | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Sat, Jun. 27 | L | Panama vs. England | 67 | 5:00 PM | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Sat, Jun. 27 | L | Croatia vs. Ghana | 68 | 5:00 PM | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Sat, Jun. 27 | K | Colombia vs. Portugal | 69 | 7:30 PM | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens |
| Sat, Jun. 27 | K | IC Playoff 1 vs. Uzbekistan | 70 | 7:30 PM | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Sat, Jun. 27 | J | Algeria vs. Austria | 71 | 10:00 PM | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Sat, Jun. 27 | J | Jordan vs. Argentina | 72 | 10:00 PM | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
Playoff Team Explanations:
- UEFA Playoff A: Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina
- UEFA Playoff B: Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania
- UEFA Playoff C: Türkiye/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo
- UEFA Playoff D: Denmark/North Macedonia/Czechia/Ireland
- IC Playoff 1: Congo/Jamaica/New Caledonia
- IC Playoff 2: Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname
Group Stage Host Cities & Stadiums
Sixteen cities across three countries will host World Cup matches. This marks the first time three nations share hosting duties for a World Cup.
United States
The US hosts 78 matches across 11 cities. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey hosts the final on July 19, 2026. The venue holds 82,500 fans. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas gets the most matches with nine games scheduled. The massive Dallas venue fits up to 94,000 people.
Los Angeles brings SoFi Stadium with 70,000 seats. Atlanta offers Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 75,000 capacity. Houston provides NRG Stadium holding 72,000 fans. Kansas City features Arrowhead Stadium with 73,000 seats. Seattle uses Lumen Field. San Francisco Bay Area presents Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Philadelphia, Boston, and Miami round out the American host cities.
Mexico
Mexico hosts 13 matches across 3 cities. Estadio Azteca in Mexico City becomes the only stadium to host three World Cups after 1970 and 1986. The legendary venue seats 83,000 and gets the tournament opener. Guadalajara brings Estadio Akron with 48,000 capacity. Monterrey offers Estadio BBVA holding 53,500 fans.
Canada
Canada hosts World Cup matches for the first time with 13 games across 2 cities. Toronto provides BMO Field with 45,736 seats. Vancouver presents BC Place holding 54,000 fans. Both stadiums received major upgrades to meet FIFA standards.
How to Get Group Stage Match Tickets
FIFA sells all official tickets through their website at FIFA.com. The ticketing process opens in different phases as the tournament approaches.
Tickets are available now for most American and Canadian venues. Mexican venue tickets should open for sale soon. Prices vary based on the match importance, venue location, and seat quality. Group stage tickets cost less than knockout round matches.
Create an account on FIFA’s official website. Sign up for ticket alerts to receive notifications about new sales windows. Popular matches involving host nations or top teams sell out fast.
What Happens after the Group Stage?
The knockout stage begins once the group stage ends on June 27. Thirty-two teams advance including all 12 group winners, all 12 runners-up, and the 8 best third-place teams.
The format includes a new Round of 32 that didn’t exist before. Winners move to the Round of 16, then quarterfinals, then semifinals, and finally the championship match. The final takes place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
All matches from the quarterfinals forward happen in the United States only. Teams reaching the final will play eight total matches instead of seven like previous tournaments.
WC 2026 Group Stage Match FAQs
How many teams advance from each group?
The top two teams advance automatically. The eight best third-place teams across all groups also move forward for a total of 32 teams.
Can teams from the same continent share a group?
No, except for Europe. Four groups will have two European teams since 16 European nations qualified.
What decides ties between teams?
Goal difference first, then goals scored, head-to-head record, fair play score, FIFA ranking, and drawing lots.
Which stadium hosts the opening match?
Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, 2026 featuring Mexico.
How long does the group stage last?
Seventeen days from June 11 to June 27, 2026.
What changes for 2026?
The tournament grows from 32 to 48 teams with a new Round of 32 and three host nations.
Where can fans watch matches?
FOX Sports broadcasts games in the US. FIFA broadcast partners cover other regions worldwide with streaming available.
