2026 World Cup Set to Begin with Record Expansion Across Three Host Nations
According to reports, the competition will be staged across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, representing a major structural change in the tournament’s format and scale.
The opening match is set for June 11 at Mexico City Stadium, where Mexico will face South Africa. The tournament will then run for six weeks before concluding on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, near New York City.
In total, 104 matches will be played across 16 stadiums spanning four time zones, with the United States hosting the majority of fixtures—78 matches overall.
Among the venues, Dallas Stadium is the largest with a capacity of 94,000 spectators, while Toronto’s stadium is the smallest at 45,000 seats.
This edition also marks increased global representation, including 10 African teams and eight Arab nations, with some countries qualifying as both African and Arab. Morocco is highlighted as the only nation that is geographically African and also classified as Arab.
A total of 1,248 players from 48 countries will take part in the tournament. Of these, 357 have previously been included in World Cup squads, while 891 players will be making their debut.
The age range among participants is notably wide, with Scotland’s Craig Gordon, aged 43 years and 162 days, identified as the oldest player, and Mexico’s Gilberto Mora, aged 17 years and 240 days, as the youngest.
Additionally, 22 players who have previously won the World Cup title are set to return for this edition of the competition.
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